Avatar: A Legend Retold
by SportsOwl
Summary: Avatar AU. People and Pokémon have coexisted in harmony for generations. A power deeply rooted in this harmony is the sacred bond shared between people and Pokémon known as Chi Bonding. An epic tale retold alongside Pokémon, follow the Gaang with new friends as they combat the Fire Lord and his plot. The main pairing will be Zuko and Ty Lee.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction and is written for fun. Rights for Avatar The Last Airbender go to DiMartino, Konietzko, and Nickelodeon. Rights for Pokémon go to Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures. **

Prologue 

Peace and the Flames of War

_People and Pokémon have coexisted in harmony for generations. A power deeply rooted in this harmony is the sacred bond shared between people and Pokémon known as Chi Bonding. The ritual of Chi Bonding involves a person, or Warrior, battling a Pokémon in order to gain their trust and demonstrate the power that the Pokémon can acquire should they choose to become Chi Bound. Once a Pokémon becomes Chi Bound their chi network intertwines with their Warrior's, granting the Warrior and Chi Bound unbelievable power unavailable to them on their own. Fighting and growing as partners, Warriors and Pokémon battle to strengthen their bonds. Even in times of peace, Pokémon help Warriors in their work and trade, assist them in reaching places they couldn't reach on their own, and serving as lifelong companions and friends. In the old days, people and Pokémon enjoyed lives of adventure filled with wonder and the thrill of challenges that tested their battle-forged bonds._

At least, those were the stories Gran Gran would tell us around the village campfire when we were children. I would gaze up at her excitedly, the flames dancing in my big blue eyes as she weaved the tales and legends of our world with a smile on her face. But now everything is different.

_Long ago, there was peace and harmony between the Water Tribes, Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation, and Air Nomads. Then everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked. Only the Avatar, Master of all Four Elements, could stop them. But when the world needed him most… he vanished._

It's been 100 years since the Fire Nation's initial assault of their neighbors and the disappearance of the Avatar and his powerful Chi Bound Pokémon. Many lives have been lost on both sides, and the Fire Nation nears victory in the war. Peace and hope have all but been abandoned by the rest of the world as the Fire Nation continues their crusade around the globe. Why did they attack? What is their endgame? So many questions plague the people of our world. But the question that burns us even more than the scorching flames of the Fire Nation is… will the Avatar return balance to our world or is all hope truly lost?

In the cold, barren wasteland of the South Pole I, Katara, and the rest of my small tribe continue our endless vigil. Biding our time, surviving, and trying to carry on our daily lives wondering what will become of us or what the next day has in store. It's been quite sometime since the Fire Nation raids on our tribe had ceased, still we live each day in fear of the return of Black Snow and the Fire Navy steel ships. Even so… I haven't lost hope. Because I believe that the Avatar will return, alongside his powerful Chi Bound, and save the world.

**Just a little taste of the story I want to tell. If you'd like to dive in with me it's going to be a retelling of the Avatar epic with Pokémon replacing animals and spirits in the Avatar world. I drew on inspiration from Pokémon Conquest which was a neat spin-off game that has Pokémon fight side by side with warriors of Feudal Japan like Nobunaga. I'm a hopeless romantic so I'm hoping to tell a little love story throughout our adventure. I'm new to uploading my work here as this is my first project so bear with me as I learn to bring you guys this adventure as smoothly as I can. Read and review and I'll upload the next chapter soon, I also have several ready to upload but I'd like to see if there's any interest in my story.**


	2. A Legend in Ice

**Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction and is written for fun. Rights for Avatar The Last Airbender go to DiMartino, Konietzko, and Nickelodeon. Rights for Pokémon go to Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures. Some dialogue borrowed from the Avatar Ep1 The Boy in the Iceberg.**

Chapter 1

A Legend in Ice

Katara's POV

It's been 2 years since my Father and the men of our Tribe journeyed to the Earth Kingdom to help fight the Fire Nation. As the children of the chieftain, the duty of caring for our Tribe's people and Pokémon fell upon our shoulders. With the help of our grandmother we fed, clothed, and protected our village. It was just another ordinary day, my brother Sokka and I were out on a fishing trip to catch food for our tribe. Little did I know that everything would change that day.

"Those Wishiwashi can't run away forever," Sokka exclaimed. Brandishing his hunting spear made of Piloswine tusks he took careful aim at the water on the port side of our canoe. The tiny blue Pokémon next to him eyeing the little white fish with the same excitement and hunger as my brother. He smacked his lips and rubbed his paws together in anticipation for the meal of fish.

_Ok, maybe more excitement and hunger._

With a low chuckle Sokka smirked then glanced over his shoulder at me before signaling his partner. "Watch this Katara, this is how you catch a fish. Alright Oshawott, go get us some dinner!"

Sokka's partner, Oshawott, happily replied with a cry, **Oshaa-wott!** After a formal salute to my brother Oshawott used his tiny paws to draw his prized scallop from his neck with a flair. Holding his scallop triumphantly above his head Oshawott jumped from the front of our tiny canoe and dove into the water in pursuit of the small school of Wishiwashi. With an exasperated sigh at my brother's antics, I briefly watched the cute exploits of Oshawott over my right shoulder before turning back to face my side of the canoe after Oshawott hit the water with a small splash. A quick rush of water just to my left alerted me to a single Wishiwashi as the school dispersed from Oshawott's pursuit. Nervously removing my mitten from my left hand I took in a single calming breath… then I reached out with my waterbending to try to capture the lone fish. Slowly flicking my wrist down then up in a gentle wave, I repeated the process to surround the fish then lifted my hand. With an audible splash the Wishiwashi came out of the water in a small blue orb.

_I actually caught it!_

The Wishiwashi dancing suspended in my little bubble, I continued my improvised form, rhythmically rocking back and forth swaying both of my arms to keep the water flowing in a circle above our canoe.

"Sokka, look!" I cried in ecstatic surprise.

"Shh, Katara. You're going to scare them away," Sokka whispered, his mouth drooling. "Mmm… I can already smell them cooking."

"But Sokka, I caught one." Now turning to face my brother's side of the boat I danced between my waterbending forms in an effort to show my quarry to my brother. And with a sudden jerk of his spear the bubble popped and I watched as the Wishiwashi fell back into the polar sea unharmed.

"Hey!"

"Aaahh!"

Oops. Well that could have gone better.

"Why is it that every time you play with magic water, I get soaked?!"

Letting out a small sigh at my lost catch, I turned to face my bonehead of a brother to defend myself as he laid his spear on the deck of our canoe.

"Ohh. It's not magic. It's waterbending. And it's—"

"Yeah, yeah- an ancient art unique to our culture, blah, blah, blah…"

Crossing my arms and raising one eyebrow I gave Sokka an annoyed look, daring him to continue chastising me while we were surrounded by freezing water. With a sigh, he turned away from me tugging at his soaked hair and pulling his collar a few times to rid himself of some of the moisture.

"Look," he started, "I'm just saying that if I had weird powers, I'd keep my weirdness to myself."

Oshawott had resurfaced and joined us at this point, our fishing operation now a bust as the school of Wishiwashi scattered in all directions. Wading in the water and darting his eyes between us with a slightly pained expression on his face, Oshawott hoisted himself back into the canoe and let out a sigh of defeat, **Sha-wott...** He didn't like when my brother and I argued, but after being frozen to the roof of an igloo after one of our spats by yours truly, he has been more cautious about coming between us even for small disagreements.

"You're calling me weird?" I retorted, then narrowed my eyes at my brother. "I'm not the one who makes muscles at myself every time I see my reflection in the water."

Sokka glanced back with his left sleeve rolled up slightly, his arm still flexed as he was grinning at what he insists, is a warrior's dashing smile. Frankly, I just think it's silly and I wonder for the umpteenth time how I could possibly be related to this dork. With an annoyed look on his face he slowly turned, opening his mouth to retort—

CRAACK.

We all yelped in surprise as the canoe collided with ice. And just our luck we were swept up in a fast moving current that pulled us into a field of stray ice floes. We scrambled to regain our balance and Sokka frantically grasped the paddle. With a grunt of effort he began dipping the paddle into the water trying to stabilize our course and stop any further damage to our only ride home. I protectively brought my arms around Oshawott so that he wouldn't be flung from the canoe as he cried out as we hit another ice floe.

**Shaaa!**

"It's ok Oshawott, I've got you," I cooed soothingly to calm our tiny guardian. Oshawott has a very noble demeanor despite his small stature and is very protective of Sokka and I since we've taken over our Father's duties to the tribe, even standing up to a large Walrein on one of our recent hunting trips.

_Such an adorable little trooper. One of the reasons you've just got to love him._

While his bravery has saved my brother and I on several occasions before, at the mercy of the ice in the open sea I couldn't bear to lose him. We crashed into another piece of ice, I stiffened my body and pinched my eyes shut not wanting to risk losing my grip on Oshawott. The canoe jostled violently as we hit another ice floe and I cried out from the force of the impact. Opening my eyes, I peered ahead of us as Sokka navigated the dangerous ice directly in front of our canoe.

"Watch out!" I cried to my brother in vain as several large ice floes further ahead moved slowly together, threatening to crush us between their walls. "Go left, go left!"

Sokka raised his head bravely and continued to fervently paddle in an effort to dodge the ice as we were thrown by the current into more adjacent ice floes. We weren't going to make it. With Oshawott cradled in my arms I carefully moved from my kneeling position to bring my feet underneath me as I prepared myself to jump on impact. Sokka scrambled to his feet as well, dropping the paddle and grabbing his spear as our canoe splintered into oblivion with a heart wrenching crack between the colliding ice floes. We were thrown out of the wreckage as we slid onto one of the ice floes, I continued helplessly across the ice with Oshawott still in my arms. Brandishing his scallop, Oshawott let out a brave cry as he encased the small shell with a blue energy bringing it to a sharp point, then quickly driving the point into the ice in hopes of preventing us from sliding off of the edge and into the water. Screeching to a halt, I opened my eyes as I stared into the frigid water inches from my face and glanced up at the foreboding iceberg that could have spelt our demise. Releasing the death grip on my small savior I moved to my hands and feet sliding myself and Oshawott away from the edge and back towards the center of the ice floe to Sokka. Sitting myself up, I glared at Sokka.

"You call that left?"

"You don't like my steering?" Sokka quipped. Driving his spear into the ice he brought his hands up and waved them mockingly to his side. "Well maybe you should have waterbended us out of the ice."

"So it's my fault?"

"I knew I should have left you back home," Sokka continued sternly. "Leave it to a girl to screw everything up."

_Oh no. He did not just say that._

"YOU ARE THE MOST SEXIST, IMMATURE, NUTBRAINED—AH!" I screamed in fury waving my hand wildly at my sides in frustration with each word I uttered as Oshawott tugged at my pants in a pointless attempt to calm me. "I'm embarrassed that we're even related!"

CRACK.

Oshawott speedily moved to my brother's side. Then Sokka and Oshawott quickly turned their attention at what I thought was me as I continued pouring out my frustration.

"Ever since mom died I've been doing all the work around camp while you've been off playing soldier." Bringing my arm up I pointed behind me in the direction I believed our village was. Oshawott jumped into my brother's arms and started quivering… in fear?

_No that would be ridiculous._

"Ah… Katara," Sokka trembled and shrunk away from me as he shakily began holding up his free hand to point behind me as he clung to his partner with the other.

"I even wash all of the clothes!" I continued oblivious to whatever Sokka was doing. "Have you ever smelled your dirty socks? Let me tell you—NOT PLEASANT!"

CRACK. CRACK.

"Katara! Settle down!"

"No! That's it. I'm done helping you. From now on you're on your own!"

Gesturing at Sokka one last time, I brought both of my arms up above my head in finality and swung them down to my sides with force and fury. And with a rush of water we were propelled away from the large iceberg behind me.

CRACK. CRACK. CRACK.

Sokka let out a whimper. And gasping I turned around as well as an iceberg split in two as if skewered by a Walrein's tusks. The force of the breaking iceberg sending a wave pushing our ice floe away leaving chunks of ice between us. Gripping the edge of the ice floe we looked up a concerned look on my face and a serious look on my brother's.

"Ok. You've gone from weird to freakish, Katara."

"You mean, I did that?" I gazed up in wonder at the apparent havoc I'd wrought.

"Yep. Congratulations," Sokka stated sarcastically as he nudged my shoulder. Oshawott jumping to his feet, wiggled his way in between us and puffed his chest out at Sokka, **Oshaa-wott!**

I chuckled. He's protecting me and scolding my brother. How cute.

Then the water directly in front of our faces began to bubble and glow a bright blue as something began to breach the water's surface. Stumbling to our feet we backed away quickly. Out of the water floated up a block of glowing ice, although this one was strangely round and the pattern seemed to swirl around in a neat spiral. We basked in the eerie glow as I scanned the phenomena in wonder until my eyes came upon something in the ice, I squinted in an effort to block the light and try to make out what it was. It looked like a boy and a large Pokémon.

The boy appeared to be in a meditating stance, his legs crossed beneath him and his fists pressed together at his center. Suddenly the boy's eyes shot open glowing a brilliant white contrasting the blue sky and water. I moved instinctively.

"He's alive," I remarked, "We have to help him." I grabbed the club my brother had sheathed on the back of his parka and began skipping across the small chunks of ice bridging us to the boy.

"Katara! Wait, get back here! We don't know what that thing is!"

**Shaaa-wottt!**

I began swinging the club at the ice trying with all my might to break it. Encasing his scallop in blue energy once again, Oshawott leapt to my side and started to swing away at the ice as well. Sokka waiting in anticipation with his spear at his side as we swung at the ice repeatedly. With a satisfying crack we broke through and steam pushed us away from the iceberg as we flew backwards at Sokka. Dropping his spear he grabbed both of us, catching Oshawott in one hand and supporting me with the other. The ice split cleanly as a crack traveled up the center of the iceberg, then released a pillar of white light that matched the boys eyes. A nearby colony of Walrein, Sealeo, and Spheal let out cries as they were awoken from their mid afternoon nap. I had no idea of the events I set in motion that day by breaking the ice, but looking back... I'd do it all over again if given the choice.

Zuko's POV

A pillar of white light shot up into the sky about a few cliques from our current position. Gazing up with a stern expression on my face, the cold ocean breeze of the South Pole blowing across my face the cold feeling lost on the nerves of the left part of my face where my scar painted it a faded red. I took a deep breath stoking my inner fire as all Firebenders do in order to warm my body from the subzero temperatures. Eyeing the small orange Pokémon on my shoulder exchanging a knowing look I drew another heated breath expelling steam from my nostrils, then I broke the silence.

"Finally. Do you realize what this means Uncle?" I flatly stated with a rasp in my voice. My partner Chimchar perched on my right shoulder and clenched his fist in anticipation as I slowly turned around to face the rest of my companions.

_At least Chimchar is on the same page as I am. I don't think these guys are even reading the same book as me._

I turned on my heels to look back across the steel deck of my ship at a rather bothersome scene, considering our predicament. Staring back at me was an oblivious pink acrobat blinking innocently and a short, stout man with a lazy demeanor accompanied by several Pokémon all giving me expectant stares. They were all seated around a table with a Pai-Sho board with a one-sided game unfolding accompanied by a large Fire Nation tea set sporting the red and black colors outlined with a golden trim. Their cups of tea steaming with the hot liquid, the old man rose his head as he placed his own teacup down on the table and opened his mouth to reply.

"We won't get to finish our game?" My Uncle deadpanned with an uninterested look. The pink acrobat giggled as she leapt from her seat and cartwheeled towards my side. She latched onto my arm opposite my Chimchar and squeezed my arm close to her soft and toned figure. My heart jumped into my throat beating a mile a minute and I could feel the heat rising to my, now surely pink, cheeks as my Chimchar let out a snicker at my obvious discomfort.

"Oh don't tease Zuko too much General Iroh," The pink acrobat bubbled. "So, finish your thought my Prince, what does it mean?" She beamed at me and giggled again as she gave my arm another squeeze pulling me into her soft features for a second time. I felt my face flushing pink again, my Uncle and Chimchar's laughter ringing in my ears as I continued to struggle in her grasp.

_Ty Lee has been clinging to me like this a lot lately, this can't be good for my health. I might have to consult Uncle about her strange behavior._

"Let go of me Ty Lee!" I snapped. Pulling my arm from her grasp as she looked up at me with her smokey cream colored eyes as she pouted at her fun ending so abruptly. Chimchar continued to snicker on my shoulder, covering his mouth with one hand in a futile attempt to stifle it from my ears. Shooting him a sharp glare, my small orange companion ceased his snickering and put on a neutral expression, his mouth forming a small O-shape as I returned my attention to the others straightening my armor and tunic out after being teased by Ty Lee.

"It means my search is about to come to an end. Helmsman! Set a course for the light!"

**Initially I wanted to follow the show's dialogue closely but that was the first 6 minutes of the first episode, so I decided I would start diverging from canon going forward. Although since Ty Lee is already with Zuko's group we're off to a good start. Just a few Pokémon making appearances alongside our characters, hope you think they match up as much as I do. I realize I'll essentially be tripling our cast of characters thanks to the Pokémon joining the adventure. I'll do my best to give them love as well as our main characters. If it's not obvious from the tags our protagonists are Aang, Katara, Zuko, and Ty Lee. I'll be switch POVs between the four of them throughout the story. Italicized parts will indicate their inner thoughts, while bold parts will usually indicate the cries of Pokémon. Our first few chapters will be a little slow as we introduce characters and Pokémon as well as doing some world building with Pokémon taking center stage. I'm posting this as I'm working on a chapter that I have some action planned and our first battle with Pokémon, look forward to it! ****Shout out to my friend and co-worker who has been helping me shape this universe for this story and checking my work! Read and review, thanks for taking the time to join us. **


	3. The Avatar Returns

**Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction and is written for fun. Rights for Avatar The Last Airbender go to DiMartino, Konietzko, and Nickelodeon. Rights for Pokémon go to Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures. Some dialogue borrowed from the Avatar Ep1 The Boy in the Iceberg. Any other matching or similar dialogue is pure coincidence, but all credit goes to the original script writers, I'm just using the words that everyone else is using. Author's note will be at end of chapter, things will be getting good in these next few chapters ;)**

Chapter 2

The Avatar Returns

Aang's POV

I remember a storm, being tossed in the waves, pushed around by winds so harsh I couldn't bend fast enough to protect us… Where did Appa go? A mighty roar cut through the tumultuous sounds of the storm, before we were submerged by a large tidal wave. I flailed my limbs wildly underwater, my eyes darting around in the dark water searching for my scaly and loyal companion.

Sinking…

Deeper… and deeper…

It's so cold… there's nothing but darkness…

Pitch black… frigid water on all sides. I could feel my temperature dropping, it's getting hard to move. I think I let go of the reins, how far did Appa go?

_I can't think straight… my eyes are getting heavy…_

_I'm taking in too much water… I can't hold my breath for much longer…_

**Your destiny is not to perish here Young Airbender.**

_Was that a voice? Sounds like it's reverberating in my head? A telepathic link? Who? Where?_

My eyes fluttered, I shifted my head around weakly… searching for the voice's source… I caught a gleam of silver in the corner of my blurring vision. I started to blackout…

_Was that a Pokémon?_

Fading…

**Don't give up Avatar, there is still much to do.**

The voice boomed in my consciousness. My eyes shot open and I could see the dark water light up with a brilliant white light. I moved instinctively, I reached out with my mind to find my companion.

_There you are Buddy. I've got you._

Whoever or whatever that voice was is long gone, I can't feel its presence nearby. This power coursing through my veins is overwhelming. I've got to act fast, I clenched my fists and brought them together creating an air bubble in the seawater around us to form a protective shell. The air bubble quickly froze over, forming an ice sphere rendering Appa and I immobile as we slipped into a state of stasis.

_So cold… but it'll have to do… I can't give up yet…_

_I won't give up…_

(100 YEARS LATER)

I opened my eyes and there was that brilliant white light again. The strange power still pulsing through my body, I blinked into the bright light after being submerged in darkness and ice. As I dragged my body up and out into the crisp, cold air, I felt the power disappear just as quickly as it came. I fell forward, sliding down the ice towards two figures clad in blue parkas.

_Guess we made it to the South Pole after all… I'm just going to rest my eyes for a little longer._

I felt a series of light jabs to the side of my head and two bickering voices. They were faint and I could barely make out what they were saying… I think there's a boy and a girl, they can't be much older than me from the sound of it. I groaned and blinked a few times then opened my eyes slowly to find the most beautiful girl staring down at me.

She had light mocha skin and the most captivating pair of radiant blue eyes that looked down at me as if relieved.

"Can I ask you a question?" I croaked in makeshift pain.

"What is it?" The girl replied.

"Come closer," I continued, keeping up the charade of weakness. She drew her face closer to mine turning her ear to my mouth so she could hear me.

"Will you go penguin sledding with me?"

"Uh… sure. I guess," the girl answered in surprise.

I leapt into the air, ecstatic that she said yes.

_My first date with a pretty girl, I couldn't wait to tell my friends Bumi and Kuzon! Wait._

"What's going on here?" I inquired. Scouring my surroundings for the first time, I noticed that I was surrounded by ice and water.

"You tell us!" The older boy exclaimed. "How'd you get in that ice? And why aren't you frozen?" The young Water Tribe Warrior attempted to jab me with his spear, I absently batted it away as I continued.

"I'm not sure."

There was a low growl that sounded from behind the ice. Remembering my faithful companion, I climbed back up the ice and slid down into the ice bowl to my best friend. He appeared to be asleep, his torso rising and falling with each breath he took. His wings were hugged close to his long body and he was covered in ice, that may take some effort to thaw out. Hastily, I began brushing off the ice from my best friend using my hands. After I was done cleaning his scaly body I started to try waking him up.

"Appa! Are you alright? Wake up, buddy!"

Lifting his large, furry tail in an effort to stir him, I then circled around to his head and pulled up his eyelids to peek at his fierce dragon eyes. With a little effort I pushed his mouth open to check if there was something wrong. To my joyous surprise his tongue lurched forward to greet me with a slimy hello.

"You're alright buddy!" I exclaimed happily pulling Appa's slender face to mine and giving him a big hug. He let out a low growl of approval as he returned my embrace with an affectionate nuzzle.

"What is that thing?" It was the older boy who was with the pretty girl.

"This is my flying dragon, Appa. He's a Drampa."

"Right— and this is my flying sister, Katara."

Appa took a sharp intake of air, I ducked out of habit forgetting to warn the two Water Tribe siblings. He sneezed, and of course when dragons sneeze there's a little fire. It's not a full on Dragon Breath attack but the glowing yellow flame sails harmlessly over my head and heads for the taller boy. He squeals in surprise and ducks with impressive agility, the blast just barely singeing the top of his head leaving a small flame flickering like a candle. The tiny blue companion with them taking it upon itself to douse the flames with a skillfully placed jet stream of water.

The boy sunk his shoulders and narrowed his eyes as if annoyed, "Thanks Oshawott, guess getting soaked a second time beats getting burned by Dragon Breath." Pounding its chest with pride and beaming triumphantly it replied, **Oshaaa-wott.**

"Oh cool is that an Oshawott?" I knew that Pokémon and its evolutionary line was native to the South Pole and actually partnered with the Chief of the Tribe and his family members. So that must mean… "Are you guys related to the Chief of the South Pole? Is the village nearby?"

"Don't answer that!" The Water Tribe boy slipped behind the girl, covering her mouth before she could begin her reply. "You saw that beam of light, right? He was probably trying to signal the Fire Navy."

Wiggling out of the boy's grip, a stern look on her face that a mother would give a misbehaving child she quirked an eyebrow and folded her arms over her chest.

"Oh, yeah, I'm sure he's a spy for the Fire Navy," she remarked sarcastically. "You can tell by that evil look in his eye."

I put on the best innocent smile I could. Though the mention of spying bothered me a bit. Why would the Fire Nation need a spy in the South Pole?

The girl continued, "The paranoid one is my brother, Sokka. And this little guy is his Oshawott. You never told us your name."

"My name is A…" I started but then I felt a tingle in my nose. Oh boy, here it comes, "aaaahhhh… ahhhhh… aaah ahhh ahhh AAAAAAAACHOOOO!" My airbending sent me shooting into the sky above us. I opted to slide from the top of the ice to return to my place standing in front of the before my sneeze and finished answering.

"I'm Aang." I sniffled and rubbed my nose quickly.

"You just sneezed," Sokka breathed incredulously, "And flew ten feet in the air."

"Really? It felt higher than that." I said as I looked up and scratched the back of my head.

Katara gasped. "You're an airbender!"

"Sure am."

Sokka began muttering, "Giant light beams… dragons… airbenders… I think I've got Midnight Sun Madness. I'm going home to where stuff makes sense."

Sokka turned to walk away from us but promptly stopped right at the edge of the iceberg. Oshawott facepalmed and shook his head as if ashamed of his partner, **Oshaa-wott.**

"If you guys are stuck Appa and I can give you a lift." I airlifted myself and somersaulted onto Appa's back grabbing the reins secured around his head.

"We'd love a ride! Thanks!" Katara declared happily. Scooping up Oshawott in her arms and hoisting him up to allow him to jump onto Appa's saddle on his back before climbing up herself.

Sokka rapidly shook his hands in front of him in denial, "No no no. I am not getting on that winged fire breathing furball."

"Are you hoping some other kind of monster will come along and give you a ride? You know… before you freeze to death?" Katara replied flatly as Oshawott beckoned Sokka up onto the saddle as if embarrassed by his partner's behavior. Sokka seemed as if he was about to say more, but gives up and climbs onto Appa's saddle and sits himself promptly in the back and folds his arms across his chest with a grumpy look on his face.

Satisfied that everyone was secure on Appa's saddle I returned my attention ahead of Appa and at the open sky above. "Alright, first time flyers, hang on tight! Appa, yip yip!" Shaking Appa's reigns to urge him into the air, Appa shakes the ice from his wings and beats them with effort to take off. He leaps off the iceberg and we catch air for a brief moment but then we fall… right into the polar sea with a big splash.

"Come on, Appa. Yip yip." I shook the reigns again. But Appa let out a tired roar as he swung his tail up and down to move us through the water in the direction of the village.

"Wow," Sokka deadpanned unimpressed with Appa. "That was amazing."

"Appa's just tired. A little rest and he'll be soaring through the skies. You'll see." I turned around and made an upwards gesture with my hand. Shifting my gaze to Appa's other passengers, my eyes fell on Katara.

"Why are you smiling at me like that?"

_Oops. I must have spaced._

"Oh… I was smiling?" I chuckled nervously spinning my head forward to steer Appa.

Sokka let out a disgusted groan, "Just keep going straight in this direction Aang, it's the only village on the bank. You can't possibly miss it."

Ty Lee's POV

"Do you two think I went too far teasing Zuko earlier?" Hanging by my legs from the railing encircling the highest point of the ship at the peak of the command tower, I asked my Chi Bound with a slight frown on my face. The blue Pokémon standing on the observation deck above me shook her head and began chattering frantically at me, surely trying to console me. "You're right, I shouldn't think about it too much. Thanks, Riolu."

I swung myself up from the railing of the command tower to stand beside my Riolu. Stretching my hands over my head and leaning to each side I let out a sigh of release, then stretched my fingers in front of me. I was sporting a hooded pink parka made of Torchic down feathers insulated with Mareep wool, leather boots and my fingerless leather gloves made from Tauros hide. The Torchic down exterior soft to the touch with the Mareep wool pulled thinly to coat the inside of the parka while still allowing me ample flexibility and thicker Mareep wool lining the sleeves and the hood to provide extra protection from the cold. Admiring the craftsmanship of the gloves, how the material was flexible and also reinforced my fists for my close combat style. I bought the boots myself at the last port, absolutely overjoyed to have warm waterproof boots for our trip to the South Pole. The parka was a gift from Zuko at port, he knew how much I loved the color pink and noticed that I didn't purchase a parka. I had to admit that the parka was pretty stylish and very warm. The gloves were also a gift from Zuko, he gave them to me when he chose me to be his Royal Retainer. Pulling my hands close to my chest, I sighed happily.

_I'll always treasure these. _

Zuko had always been thoughtful even when we were children, and the amount of thought he put in when it came to gifts was unrivaled.

_Speak of the devil. _

There on the far side of the deck looking out to the horizon was Prince Zuko wrapped in a brown blanket. He seemed to be deep in thought and was looking a little gloomy.

"You can head back without me, Riolu!" I called out to my Pokémon as I leapt from the observation deck landing softly on the main deck without a sound. With the same stealth and quiet I lithely moved towards the somber prince. And creeping up behind him ever so carefully, I held my breath and was just about to grab his shoulders to surprise him… just a little closer…

"What are you doing Ty Lee?"

_Caught again? Phooey._

"Oh boo, how'd you know it was me? I was absolutely certain I was quiet and I even held my breath this time too." I leaned over to one side then stepped to his left side to join him in looking over the icy waters. The sun was dipping just over the horizon and our heading allowed the disappearing light to catch his face in an entrancing glow. I found myself tracing my eyes across his features. Zuko's grown quite a lot since our childhood days playing in the Palace gardens. Standing much taller than me than when we were kids, even on my toes my head would be just below his jawline. Continuing my shameless browsing of him, even in his body armor I could tell that his hours of relentless training had shaped him into a fine young warrior: his chiseled abs that I fantasized about, his muscular chest, his powerful arms, his broad shoulders…

_Ty Lee stop it, he's your best friend!_

Even as I thought that my eyes continued upward along his handsome face and up across his pale, smooth skin and my eyes stopped at his most prominent feature from this side. The red and harsh scar that dominated his face: outlining his amber eye, just above his cheekbone it covered this side up to wear his hairline would be and left him browless, and it traveled across his face as if palm of flame was dragged across his face all the way to his ear. His gravelly voice brought me back from the haunting memory.

"I could smell cinnamon and honey in the air. And I know how you like sweet things with your tea so I knew it was you, Ty Lee."

_Oh my gosh, he just had to go and say something like that now, too!_

Feeling the rush of pink coming to my cheeks, I turned my head away from him and looked into the sea for a brief moment. Then after taking a breath I replied, trying my best not to let my voice tremble, "O-oh, is that right? Leave it to you to notice something so subtle, you've got a good nose, Zuko!"

_Mentally facepalming myself, I looked down again. Nice one, Ty Lee. 'You've got a good nose?' Smooth, real smooth…_

"Umm thanks I guess… Are you alright Ty Lee? You seem a little red, do you have a fever?" He says as he brushes my bangs away from my forehead and slowly brings his face towards mine to check if I have a fever. I could feel my heart beating uncontrollably in my chest. Please tell me he can't hear that too!

_So close. He's too close. This can't be happening. Please don't faint Ty Lee…_

I felt his forehead press against my own. The contrast of the cold air to his warm skin, sending a tingle up and down my spine. My eyes squeezing shut, I felt my breath catch in my throat, I could just die!

"Hmm you don't appear to have a fever Ty Lee… I'll call for the medic and have her take a look at you just to be sure."

And just like that the moment was over. Snapping back to my senses, I cartwheeled backwards and away from Zuko. "That's alright I'll go down to the sick bay myself. Thanks a bunch!" Giving him my biggest smile, I waved from the top of the stairs to head below deck. "The sun has set, Zuko. You should try to get some rest, you've got a big day tomorrow."

"Yeah… you're right I'll walk you down to the sick bay Ty Lee."

I chuckled into my fist. He's such a fine gentleman. Even so, I quickly shook my head to decline, already embarrassed enough for one day. "I'm a big girl, Zuko. I can take care of myself." Giving him a quick wink I started down the stairs, I paused to turn my head to call back to him one more time, "Goodnight, Zuko."

"Goodnight, Ty Lee. I'll see you at breakfast in the morning."

Continuing my descent down the stairs I smiled to myself.

_I'm so glad I came on this journey with him. _

Patiently waiting at the foot of the stairs was Riolu, standing on the side of the hallway with her arms folded across her chest. I felt as light as a feather, I floated back to my room with my Pokémon following close on my heels.

"Tomorrow's going to be a great day, Riolu. I can just feel it." Nodding with approval she barked happily in reply as we continued down the hall to my quarters. After shutting the steel door and blowing out the candles on the walls, I slipped my gloves off of my hands to hang them on a small iron hook beside my bed and stripped down to my lighter tunic and pants underneath. Then I fell onto my feathery bed and hugged my pillow tightly to my body. Still grinning from ear to ear, I drifted into a peaceful sleep. I can't wait for breakfast tomorrow.

**And there you have it, the story will continue in this fashion of switching POVs between the Avatar's group and Zuko's group in my effort to show their progress parallel to each other. I'm doing my best to write these character's as close as possible to canon, but in my efforts to develop them in my own way they may be a little OoC, so bear with me. Let me know what you all think of our character's teams as I introduce more Pokémon. My friend and I put in a lot of research into selecting Pokémon that suit our characters and I found a way to implement the Pokeballs to allow for more believable transport of numerous or large Pokémon. I'll probably go into more detail later in the story but the Fire Nation as an industrial nation has advanced technology so I don't think their development of the Pokeballs in this universe is to outlandish. Other nations as well will have developed Pokeballs in their own ways as we will soon discover, but the Fire Nation will be sporting the classic red and white balls. A big thank you to my family and friends for supporting my little project and taking the time to read my Fic. Also I wanted to personally thank Warhammer4life for leaving me my first review and providing me a little guidance about the site going forward. I welcome constructive criticism and while most of Book 1 is mostly planned out I am welcome to new ideas and will take polls to give a little creative freedom to loyal fans. I have another chapter that I just need to proof and format and I may post it late tonight or at some point this weekend. I have my last club volleyball tournament so I'll be occupied for most of the weekend but I was excited to see a review and I wanted to put in some work for this Fic. Please read and review :)**


	4. A Gift and A Bond

**Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction and is written for fun. Rights for Avatar The Last Airbender go to DiMartino, Konietzko, and Nickelodeon. Rights for Pokémon go to Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures. Any dialogue that matches or is similar to the original script is purely coincidental. I'm using the words that everybody else is using, I'm not capable of inventing a language like Dothraki. Enjoy the chapter!**

Chapter 3

A Gift and A Bond

Ty Lee's POV

Accustomed to the routine of Firebenders, I rose with the sun to start my routine. Stretching my arms above my head, I reached over to the hook beside my bed to snatch my prized gloves and quickly slipped them onto my hands. After balling my hands in fists a few times, I jumped out of bed and walked on my hands to my bamboo training mat. Riolu stirred from the foot of my bed and rubbed the sleep from her eyes, then moved to join me in my stretching routine. Moving fluidly through the routine in sync we took the time to stretch our flexible limbs thoroughly.

After 10 minutes or so, I somersaulted to rise to my feet, satisfied with my morning ritual I looked down to find Riolu sitting in a lotus position with her eyes still closed. Squatting down to get eye level with her, I playfully poked her cheek, "I'm going to head to Zuko's room to join him and General Iroh for breakfast I'll be sure to grab you your favorites Riolu." Eyes still shut she strained to keep her composure, now noticeably annoyed that I disturbed her, Riolu twitched her brow and nodded to signal that she understood. I giggled and smiled at my partner, she's such a serious Pokémon but I enjoy our little morning ritual each day. I turned the steel wheel on the door and pulled it open, then once in the hallway pushed the door shut and resealed it. Cartwheeling down the hallway with a joyful expression, I made my way to Zuko's room down the hall. As his Royal Retainer I had the room adjacent to his and I spent most of my time with him even on excursions off the ship. His protection is my purpose and I treasure the friendship we've shared over the years, which makes these recent feelings I've had around him quite bothersome. I should talk to someone about this before it interferes with my duties, I couldn't possibly write Mai or Azula. We haven't really spoken, things have been tense between me and them since Zuko chose me as his retainer.

Mai and I both had a small crush on him when we were younger, as he was the only boy we really spent time with. We hung out with Azula at the Fire Nation School For Girls and were personally invited to the palace each day to spend time with the Royal Prince and Princess. Most of my childhood was spent in the Palace Gardens playing games and sparring with the Royals and Mai. When we were younger Zuko seemed to have affections for Mai so I buried my little crush and did my best to support them. When Royals of the Fire Nation reach the age of 10 they choose a Royal Retainer to serve closely with them as they continue their education into combat and politics as they approach adolescence.

I remember the day like it was yesterday, I had just turned 9 and the entire academy was standing in line at the foot of the arena used for Agni Kai, while Fire Lord Azulon oversaw the ceremony. I was standing next to Mai lined up with the students of our school and the Royal Fire Academy For Boys, Zuko's family were seated in the center of the arena stage with a decorated Zuko sitting in between Lady Ursa and Azula. Zuko had been homeschooled as the firstborn to his family so naturally many believed he would select a girl as he would visit Azula and even walk her back from school on occasion. When Mai and I were personally invited the natural choice for Royal Retainers became the two of us, and it seemed preordained that Mai would be selected by Zuko and I would be chosen by Azula on her 10th birthday.

"On this day my son, Prince Zuko, turns 10 years old," Prince Ozai's voice boomed throughout the space as he paced in front of Zuko and his family moving along the line of students on both sides of the arena. Applause and cheers rang throughout the arena, even Fire Lord Azulon clapped a little despite his uninterest in the birthday celebration so far. "... and to commemorate my son's transition into his teenage years he will select a Royal Retainer from the young students of our royal academies, to serve him personally in the years to come as he learns how to better serve our country in the future."

Ozai paused, then nodded to his son, Zuko rose to his feet and marched over to stand beside him. "And now Prince Zuko, who shall you choose as your Royal Retainer to serve you from this day forward?" The arena stilled as if everyone was holding their breath, as Zuko pondered his decision. Then he opened his mouth, I and everyone else prepared to hear Mai's name echo from the prince.

"I choose Ty Lee, from the Royal Fire Academy For Girls."

My eyes widened and my jaw dropped. Much to my surprise and joy, he actually selected me to be his Royal Retainer! Everyone believed Mai was a shoo-in and that this would serve as a stepping stone to their future engagement, shock was apparent on the faces of everyone present… except for his mother Lady Ursa. Almost as if she knew that Zuko would pick me…

"Ty Lee. Would you join us up here onstage?" Ozai's deep voice snapped me out of my daydreaming as I nervously glanced to Mai to find her mouth open in shock as well. I rushed from my place in line to join the 2nd Royal Family on the stage, swiftly moving to kneel in front of Prince Zuko with my head bowed low.

"It was always going to be you, Ty Lee." Zuko's whisper only able to be heard by me as I looked up in surprise at his words, my cheeks turning a faint shade of pink. He smiled down at me, oh wow his smile is so gorgeous. With his gift in hand Zuko waited, then Ozai continued the ceremony.

"Prince Zuko will now bestow his Royal Retainer with a gift. To commemorate this occasion as they both strive to bring our nation many more years of strength and prosperity as we near victory in the war." He gestured to Zuko and me, so I rose to my feet and bowed to his family and then to Zuko once more.

"Here you go, Ty Lee. These are reinforced fingerless gloves made from Tauros hide for increased durability and protection. I think they should serve you well since you fight in close quarters, and the Tauros horn on the wrist can repel some bending attacks too." His eyes shone with excitement as he described the gloves, I held my hands out for him to slip the gloves on. They were perfect, they fit snugly and the material was flexible so even if my hands grew they would still fit. My eyes were drawn to the silver Taurus horn on the wrist, it was cut like a diamond and it shone like the stars on a cloudless night.

_The horn must be what helps cut through bending._

I wiggled my fingers and balled my hands into fists. Then I brought my hands up to form my guard and eased into my fighting stance.

_So light, yet they feel as strong as steel armor. _

I threw a few jabs into the air. Satisfied with the feel of the gloves, I moved into a backwards wheel kick, still standing on my hands I spun my legs around me in a windmill to sweep the area around me, returning to a handstand I vaulted off of my hands to flip midair to aim an axe kick straight down, landing lightly on my feet, I launched a few more jabs at an invisible opponent.

"Tsk. Show off," Azula snarked under her breath, earning a stern look from Lady Ursa. I brought my hands together in traditional Fire Nation fashion and bowed to Zuko and his family. There was a long moment of silence after I finished my martial arts display. Zuko brought his hand next to his mouth and whispered urgently, "Ty Lee. The vows." I stood up and stared back at him with a blank expression, blinking a few times as I registered what he was telling me.

_Oh right, We're still at the ceremony._

I quickly bowed again and faced Zuko. "Thank you so much for the gift. I will do my utmost to meet your expectations, Prince Zuko. I will be your blade to strike down your foes, and your guardian to shield you from harm." The words spilling out as we all had rehearsed if we were chosen. Bringing my closed fist above my heart first, I then reached my fist out towards Zuko. "I pledge my life to you, and vow to stay by your side for as long as you and I draw breath." Having completed the vows, I gave him a sheepish grin and tilted my body to the side with my hands behind back. He blushed a little and shook his head in embarrassment, wearing his hand like a mask.

"My wife and I would also like to bestow you both with a gift to commemorate this grand occasion." Ozai nodded to Ursa and reaching into the sleeve of her gown she pulled out two Pokeballs and held them out to us.

Lady Ursa smiled at us, "I have Pokémon for you both. For Zuko, a Growlithe. A strong and loyal Pokémon of a Fire Stone evolutionary line. He will be a splendid companion for you, my little prince." She ruffled his hair as he grasped the ball in his hand. Then she turned to me and handed me the other ball. "And for you young lady, a Riolu. Zuko tells me you have an affinity for aura and that you can discern people's auras to an extent already. This Pokémon will help you hone your own gift and aid you in protecting my son in the future." She pulled us both into a warm embrace, and we thanked her for our new companions.

The ceremony concluded and the rest of the night was spent with food and drink, music and dancing. It was a fun and peaceful night, as if the war around the world was just an illusion. That was the last night Fire Lord Azulon sat on the throne, and that was the last time I saw Lady Ursa. The days that followed passed quickly, like dry grass being consumed by wildfire. Ozai took the throne and was named Fire Lord, General Iroh took over Zuko's training while Ozai focused on Azula, and Mai spent more time with Azula as well. Our group became divided as if a rift had formed between us, time was spent training and bonding with our Pokémon, Zuko with his Chimchar and Growlithe and me with my Riolu. Chimchar was Zuko's first Pokémon, received when he first showed signs of firebending at age 6. Of course Azula had received her Charmander shortly after him, even at the young age of 4. The palace was my childhood and I'll always treasure the memories of spending time with Zuko. Returning from my trip down memory lane, I found that I had arrived in front of Zuko's door. Turning the wheel I pushed the door open to be welcomed by the sweet aroma of Fire Nation cuisine and jasmine tea.

"Come child, you're just in time for tea," Iroh gestured to the seat across from him as he began pouring tea into three cups. I moved to join them and took the seat he indicated, which happened to be next to Zuko. Trying to act natural, I reached for the Combee honey, adding just a spoonful to sweeten my tea. Pinching a little cinnamon as well I sprinkled it on my toast as well. Taking a bite I smiled in delight and proceeded to drink my tea as well, I looked up to thank General Iroh.

"Thank you, General Iroh."

"Ty Lee, I told you to call me Uncle when it's just the three of us. Now Zuko, you were saying something about the pillar of light we caught a glimpse of yesterday. Please continue Nephew." I nodded and continued to sip my cup of tea, I snuck a glance at Zuko with a smug look on his face before he turned to Iroh and opened his mouth to respond.

_Was he grinning at me? _

I looked down in embarrassment, a tinge of pink on my cheeks. Then I realized what he was smirking about as I caught the faint aroma of honey and cinnamon. My blush intensified as I nibbled at my cinnamon toast.

"Yes Uncle. I believe that light was produced by a powerful source. It has to be him."

"You mean the Avatar?" I chimed in softly as I began to pick at the food on the table to place on my plate. Making sure to grab a few Oran and Pecha Berries for Riolu, I stuffed them into my pockets.

"His 100 years of hiding are over. The helmsman estimates we'll reach the light's source by high noon in a few hours. I'm so close…" Zuko clenched his hands into tight fists on the table, a very determined look in his eyes. He'd waited so long for this and trained tirelessly for the opportunity to capture the Avatar. For it to be so close must mean so much to him.

"Now Prince Zuko," Iroh cut in. "I don't want you to get your hopes up, we've been down this road before. Your father and grandfather before you have failed in this task to track down the Avatar."

"That's because their honor and way of life didn't hinge upon his capture!"

Zuko's fists slammed down on the table shaking me from my trance. Talk of honor and the sudden outburst of rage, it was so unlike him. The fury contorting his kind face and handsome features… It pained me to see him like this, I missed the smile he had when we were younger. Since his mother disappeared after our ceremony Zuko had changed. I'd brought it up before and he seems to ponder it briefly when I do, but the flashes of rage when the Avatar is mentioned still lingers. He says the capture of the Avatar will restore his honor and he can return home, but I wonder if that's true? He seems honorable enough to me and even if it holds some memories, the Palace is just a place.

_Even out here on the polar sea I feel at home, because I'm with him._

I blush at my thoughts as I shake my head and quickly move to eat the fish and berries I had gathered on my plate. After finishing my food I push the plate away and rise to my feet. I need to put some distance between us before I go crazy.

"Thank you very much for the meal," My eyes closed, I spoke lowly and with a serious tone, trying to act natural. "We should prepare for the landing operation. I'll notify the crew to begin battle preparations. When you're ready Prince Zuko, you may summon me and I shall assist you with your armor." They both looked up from their meal, looking rather guilty for some reason they both nodded. "Will that be all then?"

"Yes, thank you Ty Lee. I'll be sure to call for you when I'm ready for my armor."

"As you wish, Zuko." I bowed to them both and left the room in a hurry to set out to prepare the crew. I strode down the hall and opened my room to give Riolu her breakfast, with only a few hours I was half hoping the crew had some foresight to begin some of the preparations already without me having to tell them. We then shuffled down the hall towards the sick bay to fetch medical supplies for the field. I breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at Riolu as I moved the curtain to the sick bay.

_Phew. That was close. Alright, let's get ready to capture an Avatar._

Zuko's POV

Ty Lee shut the door and strode out to prepare the crew. I watched her hips sway as she left the room. Uncle broke the silence after she departed, our little spat weighing somewhat on my mind. Mostly because of how it seemed to affect Ty Lee. She doesn't always seem so serious or stand on ceremony like that unless the rest of the crew is present.

"I apologize Nephew. I just don't want you to be disappointed if it's not him again." Uncle sighed looking at my with a serious expression that I've looked upon many times. He's guided me all this time on my quest and I know he has my best interests at heart.

"I know Uncle," I bowed my head to apologize. "I shouldn't have lost my temper, I'm sorry as well. I just have a feeling it's different this time. I can return home triumphant and Father will restore my honor."

"If you feel so strongly about it Nephew, then I will be here to support you. Now, don't keep Miss Ty Lee waiting too long. I'll be taking my leave as well, I'm going to check on Turtonator in the boiler room. He's going to be overjoyed when I bring him these berries and his favorite dish, Roast Ducklett!" Uncle grinned at me while holding up the bowl of berries and Roast Ducklett, I returned his smile and nodded.

"Of course. And I'll talk to Ty Lee while she assists me with my armor. I need to speak with her about something."

"You're finally going to confess your undying love for her?"

"What?" I could feel my face reddening like a Tamato Berry. "No! I-I was going to apologize for breakfast and thank her for all the work she's done as my retainer. Why would you even say that? I don't feel that way about her… she's my best friend!"

"I'm only teasing you, Nephew," he chuckled. Rising to leave the room as well. He turned back once more. "I'll call someone down to come clean this up, make sure your Pokémon are fed as well. Then call Ty Lee and fit your armor for battle, we have a big day ahead of us." The door shut behind him, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

_Ty Lee is my retainer and my best friend, I can't have such feelings for her anyway. It would ruin our current relationship. Besides there's no way Ty Lee feels that way, I'll have to start looking for suitors for her soon… But am I really ok with that?_

I shook my head of those thoughts and rose to my feet, I had to feed Chimchar and Growlithe. Reaching for my belt I grabbed the two small Pokeballs and pressed the button in the center to bring them to full size, the Pokeballs opening and releasing the white energy as they took the shape of my loyal companions. Chimchar shaking himself after a long rest stretched his hands overhead and greeted me happily, climbing up to hang from my shoulder. Growlithe following suit as the energy dissipated, he dashed to me and began nudging his nose affectionately into my leg.

"It's great to see you both as well." Reaching my opposite arm across to give Chimchar a fist bump, then crouching to scratch Growlithe underneath his chin and behind his ears. I snatched a few berries from the table, handing some to Chimchar on my shoulder and presenting the rest to Growlithe in my cupped hands. They ravenously devoured the berries, seeing as we missed dinner due to the pillar of light, I had already satiated my appetite before Ty Lee had arrived for breakfast. After they had finished their meal, my expression turned somber, thanks to these two and Ty Lee I could still smile in spite of how hopeless my task seemed. I was grateful for them and I'd be sure to tell Ty Lee as well. She's been a fantastic retainer and a loyal friend, I wouldn't have come so far without her being there for me.

"Today things are going to change guys. I can feel that we're hot on the Avatar's trail. We're going to restore my honor and return home." My companions nodded in affirmation letting out their respective cries, **Chim-char! Grooowl!** Just as I finished my small speech to my Pokémon one of the kitchen staff peaked in through the door.

"I'm here to clear the table, my Prince." She bowed low, asking permission to enter the room and proceed with her task.

"Yes. Thank you, I was just taking my leave to prepare for the Avatar."

Nodding I moved past the staff member to exit the room, the woman bowed again then with no wasted movement proceeded with her task. I had some time before I should call for Ty Lee to assist with my armor fitting. So I decided to head to the sick bay to have the chief medic check on the condition of my Pokémon and to inquire about the current condition of my crew as well as their Pokémon for the past few days to be sure we were in our best condition before combat. The Avatar would be a 112 year old man, he'd surely have mastered the elements by now and would have powerful Chi Bound in tow as well. I went through a checklist of the Pokémon we had at our disposal for battle: a battalion of Lairon for land operations, a few Fletchinder for scouting and messages, several of the crew have Darumaka, Pansear, Houndour, or Pawniard as well, Lieutenant Jee has a Bisharp and Houndoom, Uncle has Turtonator and his Marowak, Ty Lee has Riolu, and I have Chimchar and Growlithe. Our forces were respectable considering the small size of my ship, the success of the operation would rely on how swiftly we can subdue the Avatar and his Pokémon, and if he's sheltered in the Southern Water Tribe we can expect some resistance from the locals as well which would mean Water types.

Pulling the curtain aside and stepping into the sick bay I called for the chief medic and asked for the manifest for the past few days. I quickly perused the documents, looking for any illnesses or injuries.

_Good. No major injuries and everyone and their Pokémon are in peak form. This is better than I could have hoped for._

"Thank you, Chief Joy." I bowed to her and her partner Audino. She bowed back, her pink hair parted and pulled behind her head in a double braid, a joyful expression on her face.

"Anytime, Prince Zuko. You and your Pokémon are in peak condition. Also Ty Lee already stopped by and gathered the necessary field supplies for the crew and yourself." She smiled and peered back at me with her soothing green eyes. Most people in the Fire Nation had dark brown or golden eyes, but it wasn't as if that defined our nation. After all, Chief Joy and her family possessed bright green eyes and Ty Lee had her smoky cream colored eyes… A faint blush crossed my face as I thought of Ty Lee.

"Oh my, do you have a fever Prince Zuko?" Chief Joy began shuffling towards me with a concerned expression, Audino close behind her.

"No don't worry, I don't have a fever, Chief Joy," I recovered quickly. "I'll take my leave and post a few guards before the operation later to ensure your safety. Thank you again." I bowed and turned to leave the room with my Pokémon following closely behind me as we headed above deck to search for Ty Lee.

**This chapter focused more on Zuko and Ty Lee, as the main pairing for my fic I feel that I need to establish their relationship more. Hopefully you guys are a fan of Ty Lee, I was so sad when she died in the comics and I thought her line on Ember Island after Zuko's outburst can be explored more. "I know you." So, my story will explore their relationship more. No romance quite yet, both parties are starting to notice changes in themselves and each other. I don't want to rush their relationship and obviously Ty Lee will have a dramatic effect on Zuko's development as the story continues. I'm currently working on the next chapter and it might be longer than usual, I want to fit in the two groups meeting and get in our first taste of Pokémon and bender action. So look forward to it everyone. Thanks for reading and please favorite my story and leave a review if you have time :)**


	5. Intertwining Fates

**Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction and is written for fun. Rights for Avatar The Last Airbender go to DiMartino, Konietzko, and Nickelodeon. Rights for Pokémon go to Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures. Any dialogue that matches or is similar to the original script is purely coincidental. I'm using the words that everybody else is using, I'm not capable of inventing a language like Dothraki. Enjoy the chapter!**

Chapter 4

Intertwining Fates

Aang's POV

I woke with a start in a small tent, my shirt removed leaving my bare skin at the mercy of the frigid air as I sat up throwing the furs from my body. It was a dream of the night I had fled the Southern Air Temple, the storm, and that strange power… Shaking the thoughts from my head I searched for my shirt. Just as I was pulling it over my head the flap of the tent opened and Katara peeked in.

"Perfect. You're awake, I was just coming to check on you. I want to introduce you to the entire village." She grabbed my arm and pulled me outside as I pushed my arms through the sleeves of my nomad robes and snatched my staff. I was dragged in front of a group of people gathered in an open area with a campfire at its center. She then waved her hand to gesture to the gathered people. "Aang, this is the entire village." Katara then returned her hand to gesture to me. "Entire village, Aang."

The people seemed to eye me with uncertainty and disbelief. I waved back with a nervous smile, as I grasped my staff behind my back to provide some familiarity and comfort. An old woman stepped forward from the group.

"And this is my grandmother Kanna," Katara held her arms up in presentation.

"You may call me Gran Gran child, I am the village elder." Introductions completed I looked back at the crowd expectantly, a grin plastered on my face. Their demeanor didn't change, they still seemed cautious and withdrawn. Some even bringing their children behind them protectively.

"Is something wrong?" I asked, then I tugged at my robes to inspect them. "Is there a hole in my robes or something?"

An old woman, probably the village elder, stepped forward to answer. "No young one, no one has seen an airbender in 100 years. Let alone a master." She gestured to my tattoos on my wrists and forehead. The entire village looked at me curiously, even Katara seemed to share their intrigue in my master tattoos.

"Yeah, I guess I am pretty young to have these tattoos. My masters told me I'm the youngest airbender to ever receive master tattoos," I replied, scratching the back of my head. "I got them pretty recently, they're an homage to the contrasts found on Drampa's body, they were the first airbending masters."

Everyone then shifted their attention to Appa, their eyes tracing the patterns along Appa's head, neck, and sides. He growled happily at the attention, spreading his wings in a proud display and turning to show off his patterns. Drampa patterns vary from each individual, some markings so light that they aren't discernible. Appa's markings were darker than most, they marked him as the alpha of his pride and as an adept airbender in his own right.

The group of children all gathered around Appa and were jumping excitedly around his tail, some even climbing on top of his back to slide down. I couldn't help but smile.

_You made some friends. Good for you, buddy._

I spotted a Piplup watching us from the outskirts of the village.

"PENGUIN!"

It jumped in surprise at being noticed and scurried away from the village. I chased after it in excitement, trying to follow it back to its colony.

Katara's POV

Aang flew after the Piplup screaming in excitement. I turned to Gran Gran and bowed my head in apology. "I better go after him, to make sure he doesn't get into trouble," I jogged after him following the shallow tracks he left in the snow.

"Be careful, Katara! And stay away from that Fire Nation Ship!" Gran Gran called out after me. I spun on my heel and waved back to her while backpedaling.

"I will Gran Gran! We'll be back before dinner!"

I thought to myself about Aang. He was a master airbender, I felt that he was filled with a lot of wisdom since he had become a master at such a young age. Even if he couldn't teach me techniques directly, I hoped that I could at least learn some bending from a master even if it wasn't my native element. I'd gotten this far on my own, I just needed a push in the right direction, I was confident I would be able to figure something out. I brought my attention back to the tracks in the snow.

_Better catch up and ask him._

After some time following Aang's trail, I came upon a hill that overlooked the tundra of the South Pole. There was a small ice tunnel further down and beyond that was the abandoned Fire Nation ship. I found Aang chasing Piplup and Prinplup around trying to catch one. The colony of penguins seemed small, some must be out hunting, I spotted a single Empoleon watching over the smaller penguins. Empoleon didn't seem to consider Aang a threat as he scrambled to catch a penguin to sled with.

_Well, that's a relief Sokka and Oshawott aren't with me so an angry Empoleon would have been difficult to deal with._

"How do you catch one of these guys?" Aang missed another penguin that ducked under his grasp. "They're so slippery. Katara help me out here."

"I'll teach you how to catch a penguin if you teach me some bending techniques."

"Deal. Just one problem I'm an airbender not a waterbender. Isn't there someone in your tribe who can teach you?"

I turned away and hung my head in sadness. "No. You're looking at the only waterbender in the whole South Pole."

"This isn't right. A waterbender needs needs to master water. What about the North Pole? There's another tribe up there? Maybe they have a master who could teach you."

"Maybe. But we haven't had contact with our sister tribe in a long time. It's not exactly 'turn right at the second glacier.' It's on the other side of the world. And all of our seaworthy ships were taken by my father and his warriors. We only have small canoes left for fishing."

"That's alright I have a flying dragon. Appa and I can personally fly you to the North Pole." He smiled at me with a big goofy smile.

"That's…" I started in excitement, then I thought about it with uncertainty. "I mean I've never left home before. And Sokka and my tribe need me."

"Well, you think about it. In the meantime, can you show me how to catch one of these penguins?"

"Alright I'll share with you the secret of penguin wrangling," I said in a mock teacherly tone, I then reached into my parka and pulled out a single raw Wishiwashi. Waving it to get the attention of the penguin's near Aang, I lobbed it to him and he caught it in two hands. The penguins swarmed him all trying to get a bite of the fish, Aang just laughed as their sleek bodies rubbed against him.

Two Prinplup and a Piplup stood with us at the top of the hill and as they leaned forward to start sliding, Aang and I latched onto the backs of the medium-sized penguins. We zipped through the snow at high speed, I steered my Prinplup to stay on the smoothest course down the hill the Piplup following beside me. Aang opted to take the riskier jumps and rough terrain, but he seemed to be enjoying it, if his laughter was any indication. We came up to the ice tunnel and the penguins bravely kept going. Aang pulled his sledding buddy into a spiral around me as we plummeted towards the opening. We came out on the other side and the Prinplup slowly came to a stop and we jumped off of their backs. The pair of Prinplup started to waddle back up the hill back to their colony beckoning the small Piplup as well. Piplup was jumping up and down in excitement then darted to me and started nuzzling my leg, ignoring the Prinplup. They looked at each other exchanging a moment of silence. Then they simply shrugged and continued their trek up the hill.

"I haven't done that since I was a kid!" I laughed, picking up Piplup and tossing her into the air. "That was actually kinda fun wasn't it, Piplup?" The Pokémon cried out in confirmation, **Piplup!**

"You still are a kid!" He started to turn towards the expanse of the tundra his arms spread wide as if he was breathing in the open air for the first time. His eyes fell on the Fire Nation ship suspended in the ice.

"Whoa… what is that?" He asked me as he gazed at it curiously.

My tone turned serious, as I lowered Piplup back to the ground. Recalling the reality of the war and how much the Fire Nation had taken from me. "It's a Fire Navy ship and a very bad memory for my people." He started walking towards the ship as if pulled on a string. "Aang, stop! We're not supposed to go near it. The ship could be booby trapped."

"If you want to be a bender you have to let go of fear," he replied in a flat tone as if in a trance, then continued towards the ship with no hesitation. I exchanged a defeated look with Piplup as he gazed back at me curiously as if wondering what was troubling me, then I turned to Aang's retreating figure. With a quick shake of my head, I steeled myself and ran to catch up with him. Then I heard snow crunching behind me. I spun around to find Piplup happily hopping after me, sinking into my tracks in the snow.

"Piplup, you should go back. It's probably dangerous on the ship," I scolded Piplup with my hands on my hips. The Pokémon looked up at me with a determined look and placed its flippers on its hips mimicking me, **Pi-Piplup.**

"Are you saying that you want to go with me?"

Piplup nodded its head, **Pii-plup!**

I turned to check where Aang was, he stood at the bottom of the ice that entrapped the ship. Facing me he waved enthusiastically. I gave a small wave back to acknowledge him. Then returned my attention to Piplup, kneeling down to get a better look at Piplup.

"Alright girl. You want to go to the ship?" I inquired. Piplup shook her head.

"Now I'm confused Piplup… Where do you want to go?" I pondered it for a moment. "Are you saying you want to go to the North Pole with me?"

**Pi-Piplup!** She nodded then started jumping up and down in excitement.

"Wow Piplup, that's great! I'd love your company!" Piplup leapt into my arms. I turned and walked towards Aang and the ship with Piplup in my arms. "Although I haven't quite decided yet about the North Pole, I'll have to talk to Gran Gran and Sokka."

Reaching Aang at the foot of the ice I presented Piplup with a smile. "Aang, this is Piplup. She wants to join us on our little adventure."

"That's great, Piplup!" He smiled and patted the top of Piplup's head. Then he launched onto the first platform of ice reaching down his hand to help me up. I reached up a hand, cradling Piplup in my other arm. Then it dawned on me.

"Hey Aang."

"Yeah?"

"Appa is your Chi Bound isn't he?"

"Yep sure is."

"Could you show me how to do the ritual? Piplup actually wants to be my partner. But since I'm not a warrior and I have no waterbending master, nobody ever taught me."

"Sure." He leapt back down from the first platform. "Ok, first things first place Piplup down and sit across from her. And here take this Apricorn. Then close your eyes." Aang dug into his robes and hastily handed me an Apricorn. Apricorns were a catalyst that helped to channel a Warrior's chi to the Pokémon. If the ritual was successful the Apricorn would take the form of a ball with a distinctive pattern and chi signature unique to each Warrior and the bond they forge with each of their Pokémon.

"Got it," I lowered Piplup to the ground who promptly sat her bottom down and shut her eyes. Giggling to myself, I took the Apricorn that Aang gave me. Following Piplup, I lowered myself to my knees and sat on my heels, then I shut my own eyes awaiting Aang's further instructions.

"Both of you need to feel your own chi network within." I focused inward, feeling the weaving web of my chi network… how the power swirled throughout my body… it was invigorating.

"Now I want you to picture… a stream between you and Piplup, imagine a body of water connecting you. Open your chi network to Piplup, do you feel it?"

I concentrated on the image in my mind, picturing myself on a hill with an icy tunnel like the one we passed through. Letting the water, my chi, flow from the top of the tunnel through the icy cavern down to Piplup. For a brief moment I felt a stirring warmth in my core and I heard Piplup chirping in excitement. My eyes opened slowly, I caught a brief glimpse of a stream of white energy connecting Piplup to the Apricorn I held in my palms, then the energy dissipated around us like falling snow.

"Wow. Aang it's beautiful." Looking at the scene around me brought tears to my eyes.

"You should take a look at what's in your hands, Katara." I glanced down as the last remnants of the energy trickled to the ground and disappeared. My breath caught in my throat as I stared at the ball in my hands. The crude structure of the Apricorn before had dissolved and was now a perfect sphere with my own unique chi pattern. A deep blue that matched the color of my parka wrapped the entire ball, a distinct white snowflake pattern covered the top part of the ball, from the snowflake scattered like snow around the entire ball were these tiny white and light blue diamonds, and the stripe that encased the ball was a baby blue just like Piplup's down feathers with the center button matching it.

"It's beautiful," I breathed in awe. Wiping the tears from my eyes, I moved to scoop up Piplup in a big hug. "I'm so happy that you're my first Chi Bound Piplup, we're going to have such a great time together." Piplup happily chirped in reply and nuzzled the side of my cheek. I held the ball in my palm with the center button facing Piplup. "Want to check out your new place Piplup? I don't think I can carry you and scale the cliff at the same time after all…"

Piplup hopped up and down and chirped in understanding, **Piplup!** I pressed the center button and a red stream shot forth and connected to Piplup, converting her into the same energy before sucking that energy into the ball. Turning the ball to face me I smiled down at the ball before pressing the button in the center to shrink it into its resting state. The ritual was complete, I had a Chi Bound and now I was a Warrior. I can't wait to see the look on Sokka's face when I tell him later.

I tucked the tiny ball behind the white sash around my waist and breathed in deep. My attention then shifted to the icy cliff we had to scale to reach the Fire Navy ship. Aang once again leapt up to the first face of the cliff and reached his hand down to help me up. We continued to scale ice, Aang continuously looking back down to check my progress and stopping to help me if I found myself in a tight spot. It didn't take us long to reach the top and when we stepped onto the steel deck of the ship, I reached for Piplup's ball behind my sash.

"Come on out Piplup!" I tossed the ball in the air and it opened to release a flowing stream of white energy with a distinctive sound. The energy took the shape of Piplup and dissipated in a flash, Piplup emerged from the energy and shook itself as if shaking off water. She looked up at me a little teary eyed and leapt into my arms, I twirled in a circle and lifted Piplup into the air.

"I know Piplup, you don't want to be cooped up in that ball," I snuggled my face into Piplup's soft down feathers. "But it's going to keep you safe and help you recover from any damage you take in battle."

Hanging her head, Piplup pouted and chirped in protest, **Pi-plup…**

"Tell you what Piplup. I'll try to keep you out of your ball as much as I can, unless I have to protect you or let you rest safely. How does that sound?"

Piplup made a quick recovery and replied positively to my proposal. I carried Piplup in my arms and moved to join Aang at the entrance that led deeper into the ship. We quietly explored the metal corridors, our footsteps echoing throughout the empty ship. There was dust and Pokémon droppings everywhere, the proud vessel of the Fire Nation had become an empty husk for Pokémon to seek shelter from the elements. I had to admit that I was intrigued by the innovation of the Fire Nation, their steel ships dwarfed the sailboats and canoes of the Water Tribes and the Earth Kingdom only had fishing boats. FIre Lord Sozin had militarized the Fire Nation quickly 100 years ago and these ships were his crowning achievement. They were able to transport soldiers and Pokémon around the world and they could take a beating just like a Steel type. It took a number of practiced waterbenders to neutralize a single ship, and the Southern Tribe was left with just me. The world was unprepared for a war of this scale and each day the war continued only brought more suffering and loss of life to the enemies of the Fire Nation. Piplup shifted in my arms, probably eager to explore on her own.

"Don't wander too far Piplup," I gently placed her down on the floor and trailed my hand along the steel walls. Rubbing the dust in my hands, I called out to Aang who was just ahead of me.

"This place is creeping me out Aang, maybe we should head back," I pleaded. Piplup wandered over to a panel of sorts and was fiddling with some of the contraptions she could reach. "Piplup, be careful. There's probably booby traps all over this ship."

Piplup guiltily stopped what she was doing and slowly edged away from the devices. Aang and I came upon a small room riddled with weapons. There were spears, swords, shields, nets, and a mixture of other weapons and tools as well.

"This must be the armory."

"I just can't believe the Fire Nation would do something like this." Aang grabbed a spear and began turning it over in his hands to get a feel for the structure and weight.

"Do you really not know about the war Aang? How long were you in that iceberg?"

"I don't know. A couple of days maybe?"

"That can't be right… the war has been going on for… oh my gosh. Aang, I think you were in there for 100 years. That's the only way you wouldn't know about the war or any of what the Fire Nation has done."

"100 years?" Aang slumped to the ground dropping the spear to his side. "I don't believe it…" He buried his head between his knees and wrapped his arms around himself, as if he were trying to shield himself from the rest of the world. I knelt down to comfort Aang, I traced small circles in his back to soothe him then I pulled him into a hug.

"It's alright Aang, what's important is that you're here now. Don't dwell on it too much, let's just keep our heads up and look forward."

A piercing whistle cut through the stillness of the ship and iron bars fell down locking us in the armory. We ran to the bars and looked around in a panic, searching for a way out. I spotted Piplup by the devices rubbing the back of her head in guilt. Aang looked up and I followed his gaze and found that there was a large hole above us, I guess with an airbender up was always a good option. Returning my attention to my mischievous partner, I brought one hand to my hip the other slipping Piplup's Pokeball into my grip.

"Just couldn't resist could you?" I shook my head and raised my brow at Piplup, then I pointed the red beam and recalled her. A series of steam devices and pulleys moved one after the other throughout the ship until finally a flare was shot high into the sky above us. Part of me hoped no Fire Navy ships were nearby to see the flare, but another part of me knew that this was not like most days.

"Hang on tight."

Before I knew it, Aang had scooped me up in his arms, one arm placed firmly on my back to support me and the other around my knees so I wouldn't slip in his grasp. A faint blush crossed my cheeks, I hadn't been held like this in a long time. Sokka and I were the oldest ones here since the warriors left, and my father was the only one who would scoop me up like this when I was small.

_Wow. He's pretty strong despite his looks._

I could feel the toned muscles through his robes and I wrapped my arms around the shoulder closest to me. Aang squatted to build up power and then with a gust of wind we were shooting through the opening in the ceiling. We landed safely outside the ship and he proceeded to scale down the icy cliff with me still cradled in his arms. Once we were clear of the cliff he set me down gently and with a brief nod of understanding we ran as fast as we could to the village.

_Oh spirits, please let everyone be safe._

Zuko's POV

Chimchar tapped my shoulder to get my attention and pointed into the distance, I brought the spyglass to my good eye and peered into the direction of his finger. It was an emergency flare from a Fire Navy ship, then I saw a figure clad in orange robes shoot up from the ship and leap down with another figure wearing a blue parka.

_It's got to be him. He's pretty spry for a hundred year old man. And that must be a native from the village as well._

I followed their path along the coastline and spotted a small village surrounded by low walls of packed snow and rudimentary defenses. Panning over what I could see of the village I concluded that it was mostly women, children, and the elderly. That could mean the men were out hunting or, and this was wishful thinking, they were away fighting in the war on another front. Collapsing the spy glass, I turned back to Ty Lee and nodded.

"Gather the crew. I've spotted the Avatar and his little hideout," I did my best to hide the excitement in my voice. And judging by the way Ty Lee giggled before cartwheeling away, I did a poor job. Luckily, she is more than capable of handling the logistics of the operation and the crew was briefed and our supplies were ready.

"And wake my Uncle, Ty Lee," I called after her.

"Already did that before I joined you on deck, Zuko. I'll meet you at your quarters to fit you for your armor after I finish the preparations for the landing operation."

I grinned at her answer. She may seem to be a carefree spirit at first glance, but I knew that she was a very organized and methodical person, part of the reason I chose her as my retainer. Ty Lee had a reputation at the academy for being the best in class at sparring, besting even my sister in single combat. Maybe it was her naturally flexible fighting style, but her mind was just as sharp and quick as her punches, her only rivals in the classroom being Mai and Azula. It was her sharp mind and foresight along with my Uncle's wisdom and guidance that had gotten me through these past few years as we pursued the Avatar. And now our hard work would finally bear fruit.

"You ready Chimchar?" I held up my fist to the Pokémon perched on my shoulder. With a fiery determination in his eyes he connected his fist with mine. **Chim-char!**

I took off at a sprint to head below deck, eager to commence the operation and at long last capture the Avatar.

_Maybe my luck is finally turning around._

Ty Lee's POV

There was a faint scent of burning incense coming from the other side of the door. I took in a calming breath then knocked on the door to Zuko's chambers.

"Come in," Zuko's voice replied from the other side of the door. I swung the steel door inwards and stepped inside to find Zuko at the foot of his bed fitting his leg guards and boots, his Pokémon on either side of him patiently waiting. Zuko was dressed in a black long sleeve tunic and matching combat slacks. I noticed his aura was burning a fiery red that matched the crimson accents of his armor… armor he wasn't supposed to be fitting on his own.

"Zuko, you know you're not supposed to fit your armor yourself," I said to him flatly. "You're not going to be sitting down when you're fighting the Avatar. Stand up so I can fasten the leg guards properly for you." He quickly shot up from the bed with a guilty expression you'd find on a child's face that had been caught misbehaving. I nimbly worked my hands to fasten the leg guards tightly before taking the opposite piece and securing it around his calf.

"I was just trying to save you some time, Ty Lee."

"Oh shush. Now don't move," I sternly commanded before moving to his wardrobe in the corner of his room. Pulling the doors open I gathered the rest of his armor in my arms and brought them over. Zuko was now standing like a statue, a nervous look on his face as he tried desperately not to move.

"Relax Zuko, I'm not going to bite you."

He noticeably relaxed and sighed in relief as I brought the armored faulds around his waist and secured it with his leather belt so that the armor hung comfortably around his hips. I leaned my arms on his shoulder and inched myself closely to his ear and whispered teasingly, "Unless… you want me to."

His entire body stiffened as I moved away from him and picked up his chest armor pieces. My eyes meeting his for a brief second as I noticed his reddening face, I blushed in response before I quickly returned my attention back to my task.

_Ok. I totally set myself up for that one. It used to be fun to tease him and see his reactions, but now I'm reacting like this._

The rest of the fitting continued in silence. Zuko seemed to try to say something after I fitted his chest armor and shoulder plates, but he seemed to decide against it and shut his mouth and eyes in an effort to calm himself. I also had to breathe slowly to try to calm myself as well. As I moved to fit his armor I would brush against him and feel his toned muscles underneath the fabric and his warm breath would tickle my face when I moved close to secure the straps. All that was left was his helmet. I slowly brought the helmet slowly over his head with both hands, careful to make sure his ponytail remained undisturbed. Just as I was moving my hands away, Zuko's hands came up and grabbed my wrists firmly. I gasped in surprise at the sudden movement and could feel the warmth rising to my cheeks after realizing how close our faces were. Our noses almost touching at this distance, I could not avert my gaze from his smoldering amber eyes.

"Ty Lee," his voice was low and serious again, the nervousness and hesitation from earlier had evaporated.

"Y-yes Zuko?" I gulped and managed a nervous reply. My heart's pounding echoing in my ears.

"I just wanted to thank you for everything that you've done for me, as my retainer and as a friend. I'm truly grateful that you've stood beside me all of these years, even when I was banished you didn't leave my side." His grip loosened and his hands slowly fell to his sides leaving my hands suspended in midair close to his face. "You've done so much, and I just wanted to say thank you and also to apologize if Uncle and I upset you at breakfast."

My body moved before my mind could protest, I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him into a tight hug.

"It's fine Zuko, you guys didn't upset me," I answered him softly speaking into his ear again. "I just had a lot on my mind and I wanted to get started on preparations as soon as possible." Releasing him from my embrace and my hands came to rest on his shoulders and I stared back into his golden eyes. "And you don't need to thank me, I'm just doing what makes me happy."

"Being my retainer makes you happy?" He muttered quizzically.

"Well that's part of it I suppose," I replied bringing one arm around my middle and the other one bent so that my hand cradled my chin as I thought about the other part.

_Seeing you happy, makes me happy._

I blinked at my realization, then took a step towards the door to put a more comfortable distance between us.

"Any—way…" I began as I folded my hand behind me and leaned over to one side. "I'm finished with your armor. Is it to your liking Zuko?"

"Yes. Perfect as always, Ty Lee," he replied with a sigh. "I know you don't want to stifle your movements, but I wish you would at least wear the fireproof leather armor."

"But I am wearing it. It's underneath my tunic and pants. See." I grabbed the bottom of my tunic and started to lift it up to show him the leather armor underneath…

"I believe you, Ty Lee! You don't have to show me!"

I paused my movement and realized what I was doing. It was natural before, we were so close after all. The warmth in my cheeks seemed to rise in temperature as my hands moved to cover my face.

"R-right! So sorry! I'm going to grab my parka then join the crew at the bow of the ship," I stammered and quickly fled from the room to avoiding Zuko's hands as he reached out to me calling my name.

_Why is everything different now? I… I don't think this is just a crush anymore…_

I needed to focus on the mission, steeling myself I quickly grabbed my parka and slipped it on. Then I ran past Zuko's door as it opened and he stepped out.

"Ty Lee," he started but I ignored him and shot past him to get to the bow.

"Hurry up, Zuko!" I called over my shoulder as I ran. "Last one there is a rotten egg!"

I could hear the sound of his boots as he chased after me. "No fair! My armor is heavier than yours, Ty Lee!" He shouted down the corridor. I spun around to face him with a grin on my face as I reached the stairs to head above deck.

"Too bad, so sad," I answered before cartwheeling backwards into a handstand then launching myself up onto the deck. Holding my arms up in triumph at my victory as Zuko ascended the stairs at a sprint.

"Guess I'm the rotten egg this time," Zuko said in a low voice so the crew couldn't hear. Neither of us winded, we shared a laugh at our little competition.

"So nice of you two to join us," Iroh remarked as he and his ghostly Marowak approached us from the bow. I waved back at him then made a quick pass over the squadron I formed. Two spearmen and their Pawniard and two Firebenders one with a Houndour and the other with a Fletchinder, led by Lieutenant Jee and his Bisharp and Houndoom. One Lairon for General Iroh and I flanked by his Marowak and my Riolu. Zuko would take point with his Chimchar and Growlithe. A swift ground force to establish a zone of influence with air support and a strong back line to secure a retreat if need be. It was important not to tip our entire hand if any water Tribe Warriors showed up, so reinforcements would be on standby and Chief Joy had a personal guard at the sick bay while our main force was onshore.

"Is everyone ready Uncle?" Zuko inquired as he also made a quick pass of the landing party.

"Yes Nephew," Iroh chuckled. "You can thank Miss Ty Lee for her thorough preparation. She even brought me some ginseng tea after waking me from my nap, so thoughtful."

"Please you praise me too much General Iroh," I replied calmly. "I just want everyone to be in peak condition for this crucial operation. Today everything changes, right Zuko?"

"Right. We'll capture the Avatar and return home." Zuko released his Pokémon from their Pokeballs and I in turn released Riolu as well. Everyone then turned their eyes towards the village in the distance. The helmsman speeding our approach to ramming speed as we entered the last few cliques before reaching the icy shore.

**A/N: I know it's been awhile since I've updated, had quite the writer's block for awhile and I've had to do a lot of proofreading and editing on my own. Things are also picking up for me as I head into summer training for my high school girls in preparation for our season in the fall, but I won't bore you guys with the details. Back to the story, this was supposed to be the chapter where our two parties meet in a fateful clash but I found that it was unfolding into a fairly long chapter so I cut it short here. Sorry! I hate cliffhangers just as much as the next reader and I know I'm the only one who kind of knows what's going to happen next so... just bear with me please! Wanted to give a shoutout to Superpersonman and Dimihd for favoriting and following my story, welcome to the epic journey! The way the chapters have unfolded thus far, I've been switching POVs between all four main characters, and I realize that there may need to be some separation to indicate this and give you guys a smoother read. I'm formatting and posting from my iPad so I'll explore some options. Anywho, I can say with confidence that things will be heating up next chapter! Thanks for taking the time to read my story, fav and review if you've got a sec. And feel free to PM if you have any questions or constructive criticism. I won't answer at length about how the plot will unfold and I won't respond to negativity, but if your intentions are good then I'm more than happy to answer your PMs. Until next time and I hope everyone is ready for summer!**


	6. A Clash of Fire and Water

**Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction and is written for fun. Rights for Avatar The Last Airbender go to DiMartino, Konietzko, and Nickelodeon. Rights for Pokémon go to Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures. Any dialogue that matches or is similar to the original script is purely coincidental. I'm using the words that everybody else is using, I'm not capable of inventing a language like Dothraki. Enjoy the chapter!**

Chapter 5

A Clash of Fire and Water

Katara's POV

Aang and I stumbled into the village still rather shaken up about the flare incident at the ship. Sokka and Oshawott were corralling the villagers into the huts furthest from the water's edge behind Sokka's makeshift snow fort and walls. Before I knew what was happening, Sokka had stormed up to Aang and began yelling at him.

"What was that flare? Are you trying to signal the Fire Navy? You could put our tribe in serious danger!" Sokka shouted while jabbing a finger repeatedly into Aang's chest. "What were you thinking? That little stunt you pulled at the ship just gave away our position and now a Fire Navy ship is about to raid our village." Aang silently looked around at the frightened faces of the villagers before bowing his head away with a guilty expression on his face.

"I'm so sorry…" Aang's voice was so low, his usual vibrancy and cheerfulness had been sapped from him as he observed the unfolding scene.

"You need to leave now," Sokka commanded in a serious tone. I looked on in anguish as Aang nodded and hung his head and trudged to Appa. Climbing up into the dragon's saddle he muttered what must have been an apology, then they headed off into the tundra without looking back. Everything was happening so fast and I was too choked up to speak out against my brother or his decisions. I knew he held the village's and my safety in high regard, but banishing Aang like that seemed a little harsh even for Sokka.

"Sokka it wasn't Aang's fault, it was my Piplup that set off the flare," I apologized, reaching for Piplup's ball and releasing her to show Sokka. Hoping that the sight of me with my own Pokémon would soften my brother's fury was a long shot. He seemed to only pause for a moment as looked at the ball in my hand and then at bowed heads of Piplup and me. He let out a sigh as if defeated, then pulled me and Piplup into a tight hug.

"Well congrats on becoming a Water Tribe Warrior little sister, I'm sorry I never got around to showing you the ceremony. It's just that… If I let you become a Warrior I felt that I would be letting down Dad, I just wanted to keep you safe. And I'm sorry I jumped to conclusions like that, Katara," Sokka's voice now much gentler as he released us and held us at arm's length. My eyes started to water as my brother smiled proudly at me. I always thought he was just being old fashioned and overbearing, but he really was just trying to protect me from this war in his own way.

"I was just worried ya know? Oshawott and I were about to go looking for you guys, then I saw that flare and now there's a Fire Navy ship heading straight for us."

"Wait what?" I asked incredulously. Wiping the tears from my eyes I stood up with my hands balled at my sides. "What did you say Sokka?"

"I was worried and about to go look for you guys?" He repeated his statement in a rushed manner as if he were hoping I'd miss something.

"No after that," I replied sternly.

"There's a Fire Navy ship heading straight for us?" He replied like it was an afterthought.

"And you thought it was a good idea to tell Aang to leave! We could really use a master bender and his Chi Bound right now!" I screamed at Sokka.

_I cannot believe the nerve of this knucklehead. We need Aang and his Drampa._

"It's just a single ship and it's smaller than normal Fire Navy ships, it's probably just a scouting platoon," Sokka said as he lazily shrugged his shoulders. "Oshawott and I will give them a Southern Water Tribe welcome. And now you and Piplup can help too!"

"Seriously?" I quirked an eyebrow at him and Piplup mimicked my expression. "Tell me, O' Wise One, how were we going to combat an organized Fire Navy platoon with a boomerang, a self taught waterbending amateur, and two Pokémon?"

"Well when you put it that way it sounds way worse," Sokka seemed to finally realize our predicament and that we were probably outnumbered and outmatched. "And hey I'm pretty good with my boomerang!"

"No one said you weren't," I chuckled lightly before continuing. "I'll send Piplup after Aang, she'll be the fastest on the ice to catch up to them. While the rest of us stall them for as long as possible."

"Probably a good idea. I should apologize to Aang too if he even decides to help us."

"Oh he will, he offered to take me to the North Pole to find a waterbending master," I said as I walked towards Sokka's snow fort and did my best to reinforce it as best as I could.

"Come again? He what?" Sokka blabbered in astonishment.

I giggled at my brother's antics despite the seriousness of our situation. Truthfully, I liked his light hearted spirit. It was annoying at times, but when times were tough he always managed to put a smile on my face.

"Just get over here and help me pack the snow. It looks like they're going to ram us, and I have an idea."

Sokka and Oshawott rushed over to me and began packing snow onto the outer walls of Sokka's fort. I continued weaving my hands through the air grabbing onto the little water I could and freezing it to reinforce the walls. Then I took a deep breath and focused as best as I could for the next part, it would be the first time I tried to bend water into something sharp. This was war, and I wouldn't leave the fate of my village to the whim of the commanding officer of that ship. Sokka stared at me as I froze the snow and water into large pointed icicles. I pulled them up from the ice behind the walls around our village, slowly and with tremendous focus and effort.

"Are you going to be okay exerting that much energy, Katara?" Sokka asked in a worried tone. "I've never seen you freeze that much water like that before."

Sweat cascading down my brow I panted, "I think so… I feel stronger somehow… like this surge of power is coursing through my body… Besides, that ship looks to be a couple hours away. I'll do as much as I can now, then I'll rest."

Sokka appeared to be deep in thought, one arm folded across his body the other coming underneath his chin to cradle his jaw. "I've heard stories about this… Apparently once a bender acquires a Chi Bound their bending abilities will be amplified. It's why the Avatar is so powerful and he's able to draw out dormant abilities in Pokémon as well. Even non-benders get slight physical enhancements due to their intertwining chi networks with their Pokémon. But this is incredible! You're amazing, little sister."

I blushed in embarrassment at his uncharacteristic praise of me. "Just shut up and keep packing that snow on the walls, I shouldn't have to do everything."

Sokka scrambled towards the walls and continued to reinforce the inner walls of the fort. Oshawott and I combining our efforts to hold the icicles in place. Thankfully our village was small, and we finished our improvised battlements rather quickly. We decided it was best to conserve as much of our fighting strength for the battle to come, especially if Piplup was unable to find Aang in time. Climbing up the icy ladder, we ascended Sokka's watchtower for a better vantage point.

I peered out over the wall facing the shore scanning our battlements of ice and snow, then raising my head to spot the only ship on the water speeding towards us. Then I turned my attention to the tracks that led off into the tundra behind our village. Sliding down next to my brother on the wall closest to the village facing the water, he opened up the blanket of furs to allow me to slip inside its warmth. I took a bite of Spheal jerky to keep my strength up and petted Oshawott affectionately as he snuggled between the two of us. We waited in silence to conserve our energy, warming ourselves under the hides of Mamoswine. My brother's makeshift armory lined along the wall next to us: a bone spear with a Cloyster spearhead, a Mamoswine tusk club, and his precious carved Shellder boomerang. I glanced over at my brother, his expression was solemn and serious. Looking more mature beyond his years, he focused on the ship on the horizon and on the impending battle that was sure to come when the ship reached our shore.

_And now we wait._

Zuko's POV

"What do you see Ty Lee?" I called up to the top of the command tower where she was hanging from the rail.

"The village appears to be empty," she called back looking through the spyglass. Letting go of the rail she tumbled back towards the deck, landing softly by my side She handed the spyglass back to me. "Looks like the evacuated the village or took shelter. There is wall encasing the village like a shell, our best option appears to be a frontal assault at the center of the village. From there we'll be able to establish a zone of influence for attack and retreat. I think I see movement in the lone watchtower, but I'm not sure Zuko."

I nodded back to her in silent acknowledgement. Expanding the spyglass I zeroed in on the watchtower, it did look like there were two figures lying in wait for us. It was a good vantage point and would give them the edge in attack, we'd be easy targets for them and we would have to look up into the sun to retaliate. Also if the village warriors returned they would probably be able to signal them for an ambush or rescue. If that happened, we'd be sitting Duckletts and would have to retreat back to the ship.

"Alright," I raised my voice to above the arctic wind to get the crew's attention. Everyone shifted themselves to listen. "Our primary objective is the Avatar, no need to harm the villagers we don't need to incur the wrath and pursuit of their Warriors. Their battlements are rudimentary but we don't know what's on the other side of that wall. We believe the watchtower is harboring a few Warriors and maybe Pokémon. Exercise caution when we engage the enemy, it's their home turf and we're unsure of their current battle strength. Move quickly to secure our position and do not engage unless I signal you or they strike first. I'll try negotiations first, no need for bloodshed if we can help it, these people have been through enough. The Avatar is our primary objective."

The crew all gave a firm nod to acknowledge my plan. It had been difficult to earn their trust over the years since our initial departure. Uncle and Ty Lee being the only volunteers, the rest of the crew was a motley mix of battalion soldiers that had seen loss, Lieutenant Jee among them, and greenhorn recruits. They were rough around the edges, but through the rigorous instruction of Jee and Uncle my battalion had been transformed to be efficient and loyal. I couldn't ask for a better personal guard, if I could return home with my honor restored, I would personally appoint each of them to me and make sure their families didn't want for anything. It was the least I could do.

At that moment we breached the ice wall on the coast line. Penetrating their defense cleanly, then the bow of the ship dropped down from chains to serve as a walkway to the shore. With a clang of metal the walkway halted in the ice, then everyone moved to either side of the metal strip to reinforce our flanks as I walked down flanked by two soldiers with Pawniard. Uncle and Ty Lee followed close behind on the Lairon escorted by Riolu and Marowak. Chimchar perched on my shoulder, a look of determination on its face, Growlithe followed at my heels with a calm expression as it scanned for enemies.

"We come only for the Avatar! Surrender him to us and we won't harm you!" I called out into the wind. My answer was the howl of the wind and the crashing of the waves on the shore. Then a few people shuffled out of the huts in the back led by an elderly woman. Two figures shot up from the watchtower shouting frantically at the group to go back inside.

_Well there goes their element of surprise._

Then the two figures climbed down accompanied by a small blue Pokémon, positioning themselves between us and the elderly woman. From the looks of it they had to be close to my age, one boy and one girl. I mentally facepalmed at the antics of these absolute amateurs.

_And there goes their last tactical advantage._

I slowly scanned around the perimeter we had set, evaluating their defenses. The wall was thicker than when I first scouted the position earlier. On either flank, and on the inside of the wall were these large pillars of ice that came to a sharp point.

_There must be a waterbender among them._

I had heard reports of the Southern Raiders and was under the impression that all of the waterbenders from the South Pole had been captured. However, judging from the formation of ice and how quickly the village was reinforced there had to be at least one waterbender and they probably had a Chi Bound.

The elderly woman stepped forward, "I am Kanna, the village elder. We are harboring no such individual. If he is the one you seek, he is not here."

"Outrageous!" I shouted, grabbing the older woman I held her at arm's length so the villagers could get a good look at her. "He wears Air Nomad robes and is probably about as old as this fossil. Bring him to me and I will not harm your village."

I scanned the faces of the gathered villagers. Their expressions were crestfallen and many averted their eyes save for the two teenagers. The boy had a stoic expression gripping his spear in one hand as if evaluating his chances of a successful attack. Then my eyes fell on the girl, her expression was fiery I could feel her anger and disdain through her glare. Then it dawned on me, she was with the Avatar when he had set off the flare from that abandoned ship. I released the elder to the boy and moved to come face to face with the girl, her blue eyes locking with my golden ones.

"You were with the Avatar," I said coolly not breaking eye contact with the young Water Tribe girl. "I saw you being carried as you two fled the abandoned ship a clique away from this village."

Her expression shifted from a fierce glare to a puzzled look, then her eyes widened as if something in her mind had clicked. She took a step back from me, her eyes shifting from the boy as he shielded the elder from my soldiers to the pathway behind the village. I smiled, that look alone giving away the information I needed.

"Lieutenant Jee!" I shouted to my Lieutenant, "Seems the Avatar has fled the village and gone off into the tundra. Take a unit and pursue him." Lieutenant Jee nodded and signaled two soldiers to break off and follow him. Just as they were about to leave the Water Tribe boy stepped forward.

"I, Sokka of the Water Tribe, challenge your Commander to single combat."

The village square seemed to hold its breath as the arctic wind howled. Gesturing my men to stand down, I turned to my Uncle and Ty Lee, they nodded in acknowledgement. Closing my eyes to center myself I returned the steel gaze of Sokka's with my own.

"Very well, Sokka," I replied. "I, Prince Zuko, accept your challenge. If I win you will surrender the Avatar and we'll be on our way."

"And if I win. You leave our village unharmed and flee our waters empty-handed," Sokka stated as he gripped his spear tightly. A club and another weapon strapped loosely to the back of his parka. Nodding to the small blue Pokémon, it leapt to Sokka's side drawing the shell from its neck it held it like a weapon.

I nodded silently agreeing to his terms. Chimchar leapt from my shoulder and took a fighting stance in front of me. Following in kind I assumed my own bending stance. From what I could tell, Sokka was no bender, and the expressions of the villagers did not indicate that any of them had the heart of bender. That left only the girl as the only viable option, but where was her Chi Bound? I glanced to Ty Lee, locking eyes with her for a moment, I moved my eyes to signal her about the girl. She nodded, understanding that the girl had to be the waterbender, then she scanned the area searching for the girl's Chi Bound.

_I'll leave the girl to Ty Lee if it comes to it. Her close combat skills should be more than enough to subdue the waterbender._

"Alright Sokka, you can have the first move," I remarked wearing a confident expression. "This will be over quickly."

"Oshawott! Let's go!" He called to his companion and they both charged at me and Chimchar as we tightened our stances to intercept their assault.

Aang's POV

Appa let out a yawn as I laid my head against his warm belly. His tail curled around me in a protective circle while his body blocked the bite of the cold wind. We had found a small cave flanked by large ice formations and had opted to rest here while Appa tried to stabilize his temperature.

"Appa. I messed up big time didn't I?" I asked the dragon nervously, the guilt heavy in my voice.

Appa growled in encouragement and nuzzled his nose into my chest, I brought my hands to either side of his snout and hugged my form close to his warm breath and smiled. "Thanks Buddy, I needed that. As soon as your wings shake the cold we should head out and leave the South Pole behind. It's too bad about Katara, but I think we've overstayed our welcome."

Appa nodded and returned to his nap, shaking his wings lightly to try to get heat from the rest of his body to his wings. Normally Appa's body is like a furnace, but the time spent in the iceberg and the looming cold weather had slowed his metabolism and his natural warming sequence. Basically, until Appa could get his body temperature back to normal we were grounded. I stroked his scales affectionately, the cold touch of the frigid temperatures slowly disappearing as I could feel the faint and familiar warmth welling in his body.

"We're going to be ok Buddy…" At that moment, two simultaneous rumbles reverberated echoing through the stillness of the barren tundra. I rubbed the back of my head in embarrassment. "We should also take the time to hunt before flying a long distance again."

Appa opened his mouth and roared softly. "Yeah fish sounds good to me too Buddy! Feels like we haven't eaten in forever." I was met with a stern gaze from my partner, clearly unamused by my joke.

I chuckled nervously scratching the back of my head again. "Right… 100 years to be exact…"

Just then a little blue Pokémon sped across the ice and appeared at the mouth of the small cavern. It was Katara's Piplup, gesturing back in the direction of the village it jumped up and down waving its flippers frantically.

_Oh no. I think they're in trouble, and it's all my fault…_

"Come on Buddy! We've gotta go help them!" With a triumphant roar Appa fanned his wings out to demonstrate that he was ready to take to the skies once more. I nodded in affirmation and grabbed Piplup and leapt onto the saddle. I gently placed Piplup down and leapt to Appa's neck seizing the reins as I took the driver's seat.

"Better hold onto something Piplup!" I called back to the small penguin Pokémon. "Appa yip yip!" Piplup braced itself as I snapped the reins to spur Appa into the air. We sped across the sky back in the direction of the village.

_I just pray we're not too late…_

Ty Lee's POV

Sitting atop of Lairon from the top of iron walkway, I looked on at the duel on the ice below. The Water Tribe boy… I think he said his name was Sokka? He launched himself at Zuko as his Pokémon companion provided covering fire with streams of compressed water. Zuko allowed Sokka to get close and deftly dodged the spear as Sokka repeatedly thrust it at him, trying to lure him into the jet streams of water. Chimchar attempted to retaliate with tiny embers to push back Sokka, it wouldn't damage him greatly but the small balls of fire were fast enough to avoid being doused by the opposing Water Pokémon. Sokka was forced to retreat to a safer distance as the opposing forces came to a standoff, waiting for the other to make another move.

"Why doesn't Prince Zuko press his advantage from a distance?" A nearby recruit remarked. "The Warrior is clearly a non-bender. And there's no way that Water-Type can cancel out both of their long range assaults." I narrowed my eyes at the soldier and was about to retort when General Iroh cleared his throat behind me.

"Hmm… that may very well be true. If this were a more open field, I've no doubt we would see flashier attacks from Zuko and Chimchar," Iroh observed as he stroked his beard thoughtfully. "But the ice wall and the water behind us prevent him from retreating further back. Also the ice formations flanking the village wouldn't allow Zuko a favorable angle and that Oshawott's capabilities are unknown. I think the shell it holds can be used defensively, Zuko probably suspects the same. And if I'm not mistaken, I think Zuko wants to avoid destroying the village."

The young soldier dropped his jaw for a moment, then grew silent. General Iroh's observations were insightful and spot on. Turning to face the duel, the soldier looked on in admiration probably thinking exactly what I was at that moment.

_Our Prince Zuko is amazing._

"Chimchar attack from above!" Zuko shouted then took off after Sokka and Oshawott at a sprint. With a cry of confirmation Chimchar followed after Zuko without hesitation. Chimchar quickly caught up and jumped onto Zuko's shoulder then vaulted into the air high above Sokka and Oshawott. The Water Tribe duo craned their heads to track Chimchar into the air before it launched a concentrated barrage of fireballs. Oshawott responded with its Water Gun to counter the barrage, leaving behind a screen of steam as the attacks collided in midair. Sokka tried to spot his opponent through the steam. Those of us on the outside could just make out the silhouettes of the combatants.

"Sokka he's right in front of you!" The Water Tribe girl screamed at the top of her lungs. In response to her warning Sokka slipped into a defensive stance prepared to thrust forward with his spear, but it was too late. Even as he thrust his spear to counterattack, Zuko nimbly dove past the spear and beneath Sokka's legs before sweeping him off of his feet with a swing of his own legs. Pressing his advantage, Zuko pinned Sokka's arms with his knees pushing his weight onto his opponent, then he drew his daggers of fire and pointed them at his neck.

"This fight is over. Yield," Zuko commanded. Sokka sighed in defeat and released his grip on his spear. Just as Zuko was about to dissipate his fire daggers a great gust of wind swept over the village square knock Zuko back towards the ship. I leapt from Lairon, purely on instinct to intercept Zuko before he crashed into the iron hull of the ship. Thankfully Riolu was on the same wavelength and had leapt with me as we both took hold of Zuko on either side of him. Slowing his descent and allowing to get his feet underneath him before all three of us slid backwards in a crouch across the ice, stopping just shy of the iron walkway.

_Where did that gust of wind come from?_

"Defensive formation!" Iroh bellowed. "Protect Prince Zuko and Ty Lee!" I cracked my head back at Iroh surprised at the seriousness of his tone as the soldiers shifted to tighten our position around the ship. Then I noticed that Iroh's gaze was fixated in the air above us, I followed his gaze and my eyes widened. With strong beats of what appeared to be fur covered wings a large green dragon descended to the ground taking a defensive posture between Sokka and us. The dragon's expression was fierce despite its goofy pink eyes and with another beat of its wings it knocked back our soldiers and lighter Pokémon. Our only Steel-types able to hold their ground being our Lairon and Lt. Jee's Bisharp. Bisharp also moved decisively to posture defensively between the newcomer and us, bringing its arms into a cross in front of it. Bisharp nodded to Lt. Jee, who quickly returned the gesture, and prepared to trigger its Protect if the dragon assaulted us again.

Iroh had also moved Lairon to the front of our group and Marowak held its bone in a manner that threatened instant and bone crushing retaliation if another attack was loosed. It wasn't until the dragon folded its wings that I noticed there was a rider seated at the base of the dragon's neck.

"Uncle," Zuko managed to breathe after having the wind literally knocked out of him and being launched several feet into the air. "Is that what I think it is?" My eyes darted between Zuko's damaged body and Iroh's back as he held his bending stance.

"Yes Nephew," Iroh called back to Zuko. "That is a Drampa, a powerful aerial Pokémon that partners with the Air Nomads. This young rider is more than likely your target, the Avatar."

"The Avatar," Zuko gasped as he tried to catch his breath. "At long last."

With one hand I rubbed his back soothingly encouraging him to keep breathing, with the other I pressed lightly into his abdomen to check for broken ribs. Finding them all intact I breathed a sigh of relief.

"That duel was amazing Zuko," I congratulated him with a wink, then I held up my free hand and formed my fingers into a V-shape. "A decisive victory!"

He blinked at me incredulously. "Th-thanks Ty Lee," he stammered before his eyes took on a steely gaze as he looked back towards the Drampa and its rider. "But we have a bigger fish to fry now." I nodded and followed his gaze to the imposing Pokémon below. We had the numbers advantage and Iroh and Lt. Jee seemed in peak form and their Pokémon as well, shared the same intensity that their human counterparts exuded.

Zuko struggled to his feet and walked towards the Avatar and his dragon. "Avatar, I've spent quite some time searching for you. If you want to guarantee the safety of this village and its inhabitants you will surrender to me."

The Avatar glanced behind him at the villagers and paused for a moment as his eyes came upon the young Water Tribe Warriors. One of them hanging his head and averting his gaze, the other looking back at him pleadingly as if to say "Please don't do this…" Sliding down from the Drampa the youth landed on the ice and his gaze fixated on Zuko.

"Do you swear to leave this village and its people unharmed?" The young boy inquired.

"You have my word," Zuko said as he nodded to acknowledge his request.

"No Aang, you can't do this!" The Water Tribe girl screamed.

_Geez she's so noisy. Can't she read the situation? They're outnumbered and outgunned. The boy is protecting them._

Aang then turned to the pair of Water Tribe Warriors and seemed to say something to them. The boy nodded and the girl backed away with her eyes squeezed shut. He approached his dragon and whispered in its ear, then turned back to face Zuko before lowering himself to kneel in the ice bowing his head low and placing his staff in front of himself.

"I surrender, please leave this village and its people unharmed. I've caused them enough trouble already."

"As you wish," Zuko replied, then he signaled his soldiers. "Seize the Avatar, we're leaving." Two soldiers took the boy each holding onto one of his arms. Zuko picked up the staff and turned it over in his hands.

"This shall make a fine gift to my father, to commemorate the capture of the Avatar and my return home," Zuko declared.

I looked at him as he marched after the captured Avatar before following after him myself with Riolu at my side. The rest of the soldiers and Pokémon filing back onto the ship. Iroh and Lt. Jee and our heaviest hitting Pokémon returned last to deter any acts of foolhardy heroism. The rattling chains pulled the bow back up to the ship and shut with an iron clang. We slowly pulled away from the ice and headed out into the open water. Avatar in tow, Zuko signaled the helmsman to make a course for the Fire Nation. Tears started to well up in my eyes as I watched Zuko march towards the stairs to head below deck. His aura glowed a triumphant gold with traces of white, content that his mission was completed.

_It's over. We're going back to the Fire Nation at last._

**A/N: Sorry for the delay people! I've been bogged down by a lot of things but I managed to finish this chapter this morning. Deciding on the direction I wanted the fight to go and how I scripted and designed the battle was fun. Hope you all enjoyed a little taste of some action and look forward to more as our characters grow alongside their Pokémon companions. I'm sure some of you may be thinking that Appa could have handled Zuko's group handily and that may very well be true if he had access to his entire move pool. For the intents and purposes of this fic I am limiting the move pools to reflect the bond between Warrior and Chi Bound. So no Flamethrowers for Appa quite yet. And I wanted to show a more battle capable Zuko from the beginning, especially given the reason for his banishment I feel that Zuko would be less destructive than how he was portrayed in canon. Frustrated yes, but with Iroh's guidance and Ty Lee's influence for several years he has maintained some of his composure and compassion. Hopefully everyone is enjoying the story so far and will support the direction I'm taking some of our characters and their Pokémon. Big plans in store everyone! Fav and follow if you enjoy the story so far and review if you have time! Thanks everyone!**


	7. A Warrior’s Destiny

Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction and is written for fun. Rights for Avatar The Last Airbender go to DiMartino, Konietzko, and Nickelodeon. Rights for Pokémon go to Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures. Any dialogue that matches or is similar to the original script is purely coincidental. I'm using the words that everybody else is using, I'm not capable of inventing a language like Dothraki. Enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 6

A Warrior's Destiny

Katara's POV

Stunned.

There are no other words to describe how I'm feeling at this moment. Aang hung his head in surrender and allowed the soldiers to approach him with no resistance. I watched the Fire Nation soldiers take each of Aang's arms as they spun him around and marched him to the steel ship. Falling to my knees in the snow, I tried to cry out but I couldn't find my voice. The sound caught in my throat and stayed there suspended, much like the event playing out before me. None of it seemed real, I was just talking to Aang about the North Pole and now he's been captured by the Fire Nation.

_I can't even cry… or call out… It's like when Father left all those years ago…_

"Trust me, Katara!" Aang's voice cut through the silence and shook me from my daze. I raised my head to see him struggling in the grip of the soldiers to turn to look me in the eye and deliver his message.

"Trust Appa!" Aang shouted. At first I was elated that Aang was still fighting in his own way, then my heart sank into my stomach as I lifted my head to turn to face the dragon beside me.

Appa stood defiantly as the landscape came to a dramatic pause once again at the gravity of Aang's words. I could hear whispers among the soldiers and noticed the older pair and the spunky girl in pink speaking to Prince Zuko at the base of the ramp. With a quick nod, Zuko turned towards us with a focused gaze fixated on Appa.

"Dispose of the dragon!" Zuko barked out his command and I rose to my feet, anger pooling inside my stomach like a whirlpool of rage.

"You promised to leave us alone!" I shouted back at him.

"I gave my word that your village would come to no harm," his voice low and calculating. "I never said anything about the Avatar's dragon." Aang began to struggle helplessly between the two soldiers as they continued to drag him onto the deck of the ship.

"Appa! Run!" Aang cried out in panic. Appa took to the skies with a beat of his wings doing his best to avoid attacks coming at him from the beach. Hovering above the beach, Appa retaliated with his Dragonbreath. Flames of green clashing with the red and orange flames of the Firebenders and their Pokémon. As if to add insult to injury, none of the attacks of the Fire Nation even came close to touching even a single hut in our village.

I slowly brought myself to my feet with Piplup joining me at my side, a fierce expression on its face that mirrored my own. An expression of silent fury, an icy calmness washing over me even as I felt my temperature rising.

_We are at war. No more hesitation. It's now or never, Katara!_

"Piplup," I spoke to my new partner. Fully aware of what I was about to ask of her and what I was about to do. "Let's show them what makes a waterbender so dangerous."

Zuko's POV

"Don't let the dragon escape! Scramble our air support!" I barked as the dragon continued to dart around the sky between our attacks, frantically searching for an opening.

_An opening I won't give it._

I turned to face my Uncle and Lt. Jee, "Shoot to kill Lieutenant. Uncle secure the ship and have the soldiers rotate attacks as we retreat. Our objective now is to minimize our casualties and quickly bring the Avatar back to the capital." The two nodded in confirmation and sprung into action.

The Avatar was now flailing uncontrollably, shooting bursts of air in attempts to free himself as well. I leaned over in front of the Avatar as he let out another gust of air as he essentially shouted at me in frustration. His light brown eyes fixing me with a gaze of steely defiance. I leaned in closer to whisper in his ear.

"Even if you do manage to break free. The second you do, I order my battalion to torch the entire village." His body went limp, the determination in his eyes replaced with a look of hopelessness.

_Sorry kid. It's just a bluff, but I can't have you slipping away so easily after I've finally captured you._

My stoic expression wavered for just a moment as I watched the light disappear from the Avatar's eyes as he hung his head a second time. This time he made no move to resist. I felt sorry for the boy, I pitied him for a brief moment as I thought of how young he was. The pity was brief and quickly turned to my calculating skepticism.

_He can't be much older than I was when I was banished… That places him around 12 or 13. How is that possible? He disappeared over 100 years ago? He should be ancient and a fully realized avatar. But he's only airbent at us…_

I shook my head and rose to my feet, my stony expression of command back on my face. Those questions would come later. Too much happening right now to break my focus searching for answers.

"Bind the boy and take him to the brig. Have Chief Joy inspect him in the sick bay, then rejoin us on deck to secure the ship once the Avatar is locked away."

"Yes, sir!" The soldiers saluted me and dragged the heavy hearted boy below deck.

I turned back to face the scene of battle. Uncle stood flanking the top of the ramp on the right, his Marowak on the left as they peppered multiple projectiles at the dragon circling above us. Lieutenant Jee had called out his Houndoom and enlisted the help of two of our Firebenders and their Houndour to continue the assault of fire against the dragon as they edged back towards the ramp. Flamethrowers shot across the sky leaving no escape as the dragon darted around the ship, attempting to locate his imprisoned partner.

Desperation was apparent in the dragon as its movement became more erratic and our attacks started to land. The dragon roared in pain as multiple fire attacks landed as well as the bone of my Uncle's Marowak.

_Hope the aviary is ready._

I brought two fingers to my mouth and let out a shrill whistle of two notes. The command tower creaked loudly as the hidden hatches on all four sides of the tower opened. All at once multiple flashes of red shot out into the open sky. I quickly scanned our assets, counting five Fletchinder. A recruit scrambled next to me slipping on the deck before quickly recovering.

"R-r-reporting in sir!" The boy stammered.

"Status, cadet!" I replied.

"Full Alpha squadron in flight, sir!"

"Will they follow my directives?"

"Y-yes sir! Directives to the ace of the group, Alpha, will be followed promptly by the rest of the squadron, sir!"

"Perfect. That will be all cadet, notify everyone below deck we will be pushing off soon."

"Yes sir!" The boy scampered towards the stairs to head below deck as I watched the squadron assume a basic V-formation as they darted to engage the dragon. Just as I was about to call out to Alpha something shot past my right cheek and embedded itself in the command tower. I felt the pain instantly and pulled my hand across my face feeling the familiar warm liquid paint my hand.

_Blood._

I turned my attention to the projectiles lodged in the command tower. They were icicles, several of them no longer than a finger, but thick enough to leave damage and clearly sharp enough to pierce steel.

_For the ice to penetrate steel… that means her Chi Bound is that little penguin._

Even so… I pulled an icicle from the tower and melted it in my fiery grip.

_She's more talented than I initially thought._

I faced the beach again and locked eyes with the girl in the blue parka.

"Ty Lee subdue—," I began just as a flash of pink darted past me followed by the soothing scent of cinnamon.

"Her, right? Already on it, Slowpoke!" Ty Lee sang as she vaulted off of the ship to engage the girl in close combat. Uncle came to stand next to me as I looked on as Ty Lee landed gracefully with Riolu at her side in front of the girl and her Pokémon. The two parties swiftly engaged as Ty Lee darted in for quick jabbing combinations to prevent the girl from using any big bending movements with her arms and legs.

Uncle cleared his throat beside me.

"I know it's enjoyable to watch Miss Ty Lee fight. But you've got an air squadron to direct, Nephew."

My face heated as I realized how distracting Ty Lee was when she passed me to leap down to the beach. The scent of cinnamon still hanging in the air, I cleared my own throat as my Uncle chuckled into his fist.

"Right you are, Uncle," I sheepishly replied darting my eyes back and forth to insure no one else was aware of the lapse in my concentration. "I'm going to go do that now."

Uncle continued to chuckle as he shuffled away to direct the remaining soldiers to the perimeter of the ship as we raised the ramp up. I took in a deep breath of cool air to calm myself after my Uncle's uncanny ability to catch me at the worst of times. Then I turned my attention to the skies, the dragon had considerably slowed down after multiple hits. I brought my two fingers to my lips once more and the two notes pierced the air once more.

"Alpha! Focus fire on the wings of that dragon! Take it out of the sky!"

The Fletchinder in the center of the formation eagerly responded and cried out to the rest of the group. With their new directive they sped towards the dragon at full speed as they loosed several small balls of fire at the dragon's wings.

Ty Lee's POV

I threw a back fist aimed at the Water Tribe girl's right ear. She nimbly ducked my blow, so using the momentum I spun myself into a somersault to land an axe kick. To my dismay the small penguin Pokémon had leapt to intercept the blow. The impact sent the small blue bird sailing into the girl, knocking them back a few feet.

"Piplup!" She cried out in concern and anguish. The tiny form of Piplup cradled in her arms, cried out weakly Pi-plup…

"Oh no! I'm so sorry little guy. I was aiming for… sorry what was your name?"

She blinked up at me in confusion. "My name is Katara."

"Got it, my name is Ty Lee," I replied before returning my attention to Piplup, "I was aiming for Katara, Piplup. You have to be more careful if you're going to use your body as a shield." I knelt down across from them and reached into my pocket. Katara was on her guard, I opened my hand to reveal a handful of Oran Berries.

"I feel awful for harming your companion, Katara. I can tell you're recently bonded. These Berries will help Piplup regain its strength."

She remained silent, still looking at me with a perplexed expression. Then she opened her mouth and closed it a few times. She then looked down at Piplup who was obviously fighting to maintain consciousness. I held out my hand with a single Oran Berry, maintaining a respectable distance. Her hand reached out slowly and I placed the Berry in her open palm.

"Why are you being nice to me? Aren't we enemies?" Her voice sounded cautious and a little wounded.

"Opponents on the battlefield sure. But I can tell Piplup already cares about you a lot judging by the way it protected you like that. Anyone who can get that kind of response from a Pokémon this early in their bond is bound to be a wonderful person." I beamed at them wearing my friendliest smile. Katara carefully fed the firm blue Berry to Piplup. The effect was instant, Piplup's eyes shot wide open and it let out a cry filled with energy Pii-pi-plup! Then I heard a distinct creaking noise in the distance.

_Guess that's Zuko's way of telling me to hurry up._

"Besides," I began as stood up and stretched my slender arms above my head, then leaned to each side in a deep lunging stretch. "Even if we are opponents today, you never know. We just may find ourselves fighting side by side one day."

Riolu approached Piplup and outstretched its paw to Piplup. I did the same gesture with my hand reaching out to Katara.

"Riolu is thanking Piplup for the match. And hopes that we meet again someday."

Piplup looked between Katara and Riolu's hand. Katara nodded, then Piplup's flipper joined Riolu's paw and Katara's hand clasped my own and we both shook the other party's appendage up and down in a gesture of mutual respect. We released our hands and I took off at a sprint towards the ship as I heard a loud audible splash in the ocean.

I launched myself into a triple cartwheel backflip then I vaulted into the air towards the ship. Riolu leapt after me with a single standing leap. I tumbled in the air a few times and drew Riolu's red and white Pokeball.

"I need an assist Riolu!" I called out. With a bark of affirmation Riolu's right palm glowed white as she closed the distance between us as I lost momentum. I placed my feet together and let them meet Riolu's palm as she thrust her palm forward and I pushed my legs back to jettison myself towards the deck. Once I safely cleared the railing of the ship I turned myself upside down and aimed the ball at Riolu's falling form.

"Riolu, return!" A beam of red energy shot forth and enveloped Riolu shifting her physical form into chi then the shapeless energy neatly pulled itself back towards the center of the ball in my hand. Giving a quick glance at the ball in my hand, I quickly corrected myself to land on my feet. With a light touchdown I lifted my hands into the air forming a V with both arms.

"And she sticks the landing!" I crowed in triumph, then I turned the ball to face me. "All thanks to you my friend, thank you." I pressed the center button of the ball to release the white energy as the shape of my faithful companion joined me safely on deck. I knelt down and scooped Riolu into a big hug, kissing her lightly on the side of her cheek.

"Thank you so much, Riolu!" She squirmed a little in my grasp, uncomfortable with the open display of affection. Eventually giving in to my selfishness, Riolu growled in a soothing tone and stroked my hair softly.

"Hate to interrupt you two but we've got to do a damage evaluation. That dragon did a number on our ship even with my Uncle and Lt. Jee's combined efforts."

I looked up to find Zuko looking down at us with his arms folded over his chest, tapping his foot impatiently.

"Aww phooey," I pouted, releasing Riolu from my embrace. "Do we have to?"

Zuko sighed and outstretched his hand to help me up.

"Yes, Ty Lee. We have to, the dragon hit the engine and the side of the command tower. And the debris from the tower is blocking the entrance below deck. We've got our work cut out for us."

I took his hand and he pulled me up to my feet. I let go of his hand and beamed up at him. "At least one thing got accomplished."

"What's that?" He inquired, a little surprised at my remark as he scanned the ship.

After my superb landing I was still feeling the adrenaline coursing through my veins so I boldly placed a kiss on the side of Zuko's unscarred face. His hand shot up involuntarily, frozen on the spot I had just kissed.

"You already took care of the damage report, silly." I giggled into my hands, then I cartwheeled towards the stairs. "Riolu and I will start clearing the debris blocking the stairs. Why don't you go with your Uncle to check the engine? Pretty sure Turtonator will be awake in the boiler room, given that his room exploded."

He just nodded as he silently marched to the back of the ship to the service entrance to the boiler room. Iroh looked back at me after the embarrassed Zuko sped past him, still clasping his cheek. He looked at Zuko with a serious expression, then he turned to me wearing a goofy grin on his face as he held up his hand in a big thumbs up.

I giggled at his gesture and waved back. Then Zuko came marching back, no longer holding his cheek, and grabbed Iroh by his collar and dragged him back towards the boiler room.

Soldiers shuffling around me on deck putting out fires and working with their Pokémon to repair the steel plating of our ship, I grinned. Pulling my hand towards my lips I traced two fingers softly over my top and bottom lip. Quietly replaying the moment in my head I wanted to burn the image of Zuko's flushed face as he clasped his cheek after I kissed him. I'll probably hear all about how unprofessional I was or that I'm way too carefree. I quietly walked over towards Riolu and a group of soldiers clearing the debris blocking the main stairs. Leaning over to start collecting the metal rubble and bolts, I let out a sigh of pure contentment and bliss.

_Totally worth it._

**A/N: I know it's been quite some time since I released a chapter, I'm so sorry. Things have been crazy, there's been ups and downs and twists and turns. Had a bit of writer's block as well, but on a happier side note. Reached out to a friend from high school and found out she's an Avatar fan! We just talked back and forth about a lot of things and she inspired me to tackle this chapter. I think it turned out ok, so a big shoutout to my friend who pulled me out of my writer's bloack and inspired me to buckle down and write this chapter. Volleyball season is in full swing at the high school I'm coaching at but I'm making a promise to myself to write a little bit everyday during the week so I can give you guys a chapter or two over the weekends. I know this chapter is a little shorter than previous ones and yet I'm happy with it, so I think I'm going to start focusing the chapter a little more and try to put out more chapters for you all to enjoy. Thank you for being patient, you're a great crowd! Look forward to the adventure unfolding, things are going to start diverging from canon as I think we've established a good base for our cast and the universe is solidifying. As Summer comes to a close we look towards Fall with excitement and anticipation of the coming holidays. Fav and review! Thanks again everyone for your support!**


	8. The Journey Home

Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction and is written for fun. Rights for Avatar The Last Airbender go to DiMartino, Konietzko, and Nickelodeon. Rights for Pokémon go to Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures. Any dialogue that matches or is similar to the original script is purely coincidental. I'm using the words that everybody else is using, I'm not capable of inventing a language like Dothraki. Enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 7

The Journey Home

Zuko's POV

"Uncle! She's unbelievable! I can't believe she pulled a stunt like that!" I ranted, absolutely fuming at Ty Lee's teasing.

"Yes Nephew," Uncle droned, uninterested in my outburst as he fiddled with the engine. "But as I recall she still stuck the landing, did she not?"

"Of course she did!" I shouted, then I took a calming breath. "Sorry Uncle, I let my temper get the best of me. That wasn't what I was talking about. I meant after she landed on deck."

"Hmm… remind me again of what happened after she landed on deck?" Uncle inquired with seeping sarcasm. He gestured to a tool in the toolbox, which his Marowak handed him as it also continued to screw a bolt into place. Our chief engineer was on deck repairing the command tower by melting the debris back down into a malleable state then patching and reinforcing it. It was a relatively simple procedure that requires heating, cooling, and hammering the raw materials to insure that the new tempered metal fit in with the surrounding structure without compromising its integrity. My Uncle was also a skilled engineer, famous for industrializing the Pokeballs our military utilized. Even though he is a talented engineer and firebender, Uncle insists we allow our younger chief engineer, Kurt, to work various tasks in order to gain experience.

Kurt really looks up to Uncle, and is obsessed with my Uncle's original design for the Pokeball. After Uncle's unsuccessful siege of Ba Sing Se, he says he took a trip to the Spirit World and it was there that he acquired the knowledge that allowed him to create a ball that would remove the need to perform a traditional Chi Bonding. Allowing even soldiers without powerful Chi Networks to command more Pokémon than they could before, it increased our fighting capacity exponentially and relieved the burden of our high ranking officials.

"You know full well what she did Uncle," I continued. "Ty Lee's teasing is becoming a problem. I never know what she's thinking anymore."

"She's thinking about you, Nephew," Uncle said plainly as he continued to tinker with the pipes around the main boiler. He then checked the pressure meter next to the pressure chamber and shook his head. "Looks like our regulator valve is compromised… that or it's gone. So we'll be unable to generate any pressure to propel us any further or control our steering. We need to inspect the top of the command tower once the east wall of the command tower is reinforced. Then I suggest we stop by Admiral Zhao's port to make the necessary repairs and resupply while we have the opportunity."

"Zhao is insufferable," I growled. "He's only interested in climbing the ranks, obsessed with combat and boasting of his military endeavors. Can't we repair the ship on open waters and resupply at a fishing village in the Earth Kingdom?"

Uncle paused for a moment, probably calculating the plausibility of my request, then shook his head.

"Unfortunately, we only have enough power and resources to make it that far without resorting to our Pokémon pushing the ship itself. Also, we aren't properly equipped to fish these waters. I suggest we invest in fishing equipment and Pokémon in the long run as well. If we can self sustain while we're out at sea, our efficiency and survivability increases substantially…"

Uncle continued to list our options and schooled me on various improvements we should employ if we were to make the journey back to the capital. His counsel is always invaluable to me but sometimes he gets tunnel vision when he gets like this.

Usually he would be all over the fact that Ty Lee was teasing me and that I was noticeably flustered or distracted. But my Uncle was still an engineer at heart and he loved his work. Even though my Uncle is a brilliant general and strategist, I know he desires a lasting peacetime, and I share his sentiment. His expression was solemn and appeared void of emotion even as he was doing something usually enjoyed. He loved tinkering and fixing things, one of his simple pleasures along with Pai Sho and tea.

For 100 years this war has gone on, with no end in sight. I know Uncle doesn't support this senseless war, Father says we are trying to bring the greatness of the Fire Nation to the rest of the world. But it feels like a crusade for resources to fuel further growth of the Fire Nation. I've heard whispers since I was banished, but Father has grown more ambitious and power hungry recently. Despite my mission to capture the Avatar and bring him before my Father, I've spent many nights wrestling with the nature of my mission. And now that I have the Avatar at last, I feel… empty. Like something is missing.

_Have I truly been so obsessed with his capture that I lost sight of myself? I know the Avatar is meant to bring balance to the world. But after 100 years can such a task be entrusted to one person? At first I thought it was our nation's goal to seek that balance ourselves. To blaze a path to a shared future with the other nations. Now I'm not so sure… I do still believe we can bring great change to the world, not like this though. We can do better than war, something has to change. Uncle's vision of a world united by technology and science is possible with the backing of the Council and my Father. I've learned much on this journey, I owe my Uncle this much. To have my Uncle see his dream realized in his lifetime, I have to return home and speak with Father. I have to try._

I study my Uncle's vacant expression as packs the tools away and calls up to the helmsman in the control tower to double check the lack of pressure. It's times like this that my thoughts return to my cousin, Lu Ten. He knew how to get Uncle to forget about work and not be so serious. Lu Ten was the one who got my Uncle into tea, my cousin would tell Uncle that it was good for his nerves as he got older. Sometimes I'll see a phantom expression of sadness and grief before my Uncle takes his first sip of tea. It's rare these days and my Uncle has been jollier since we began the journey.

"I know you miss him, Uncle," I broke the silence, unable to bear my Uncle's crestfallen expression. "I miss him too."

He let out a sigh, and smiled back at me. "Thank you Nephew. I really appreciate that." Then his warm smile turned goofy again, as he grinned like a child who had just pulled a prank. "Now about you and Miss Ty Lee…"

I rolled my eyes and rushed for the stairs to return to the main deck. "We're not having this discussion right now Uncle. I'm still banished, I cannot be betrothed until my status in the Fire Nation Court is restored."

"I meant maybe you should think about getting her a birthday present when we reach port," he said with wide eyes. "It's in a couple of weeks, isn't it? Right before the Winter Solstice?"

I felt the color rise to my face like the steam of the boiler room. "I know Uncle, that's what I meant!"

"Oh, really? You weren't planning to propose were you? As I'm sure you know, your status has to be officially restored in the Fire Nation Court before you can take a lady's hand in marriage."

"I'm aware Uncle! If we're done down here I'll be in the training room. Going to blow off some steam." I climbed the stairs in a hurry and shut the hatch behind me as my Uncle called up to me, sounded something like 'Enjoy the company,' but I didn't hear him and I stormed back to my quarters to remove my battle armor.

Taking off the armor was simple and straightforward and I was able to store everything fairly quickly. I opted for a light tunic and trousers for training, after awhile I would probably shred the tunic like I usually do. Making sure to grab a towel from the barracks, I passed the sick bay to another down to the training room.

_I'll just lift some weights, go through my bending katas, take a quick shower, have a light meal, then sleep. Good plan, Zuko._

I reached the training room and my plan went flying out the window. Hanging from one of the support beams on the ceiling was Ty Lee. She had shed her pink parka and was sporting a pink tank top and light beige leggings for training. Her top left her toned stomach exposed and revealed the tone musculature of her acrobatic body. The leggings she was wearing hugged her legs tightly and accentuated her natural curves. Ty Lee had always been lean and athletic even when we were kids. Now that we're older I had managed to close the gap in physical talent somewhat, and I'm a few inches taller than her. I always figured her ability would continue to bloom, it was her blooming in other places I had not anticipated.

The short tank top revealed a lot of Ty Lee's skin. A light cascade of sweat caused her to skin glimmer like diamonds in the sunset. Toned and limber arms, a tight stomach that emphasized her natural hourglass figure, and her chest inviting you in even with her modest cleavage. Her legs were long and toned from their use in her agile fighting style, toned by constant training. Accentuated by the tight leggings, I could trace the curves of her calves and thighs all the way to her…

Oh Spirits, the shape of her hips and behind would be the death of any healthy adolescent boy. Still this is not the time or place to have such thoughts about my retainer, let alone my best friend. Is Uncle right? But what if she doesn't feel the same way? Our relationship would be forever changed…

"Umm… earth to Zuko?" With a concerned expression on her face, Ty Lee (now on the ground) waved her hand back and forth in front of my face in attempts to grab my attention.

_Shoot I spaced out. I must have been staring, she probably thinks I'm a creep._

I shake my head to snap myself from my trance. Bringing my gaze back up, my eyes locked with hers. And I could feel my heart accelerate, the tumultuous tempo making my temperature skyrocket. I mentally facepalmed myself.

_I must be so red right now._

Ty Lee's POV

Clearing the debris proved to be a simple task with several people and Pokémon working together. After the stairs were clear I made my way to sickbay to get a report from Chief Joy. I pulled the curtain to the side, and made my way in.

"Hey, Chief Joy," I greeted her with a wave and smile. "I just wanted to stop in to see if anyone from the crew sustained any injuries?"

"Not at all, seems like the operation went off without a hitch. Good work, Ty Lee," she replied warmly. Chief Joy just had this smile that disarmed you when you were in her presence and her demeanor just radiated warmth and comfort. We had spoken on many different occasions and her being one of the only other females on the ship I sought her counsel often.

"Thank you, Zuko devised a great battle plan."

"Yes, he may have very well thought up a great plan. But you were the one to set things in motion as his retainer. You prepped the supplies, briefed and mobilized the crew, made sure General Iroh was awake, and even checked on me to make sure I had two guards while you carried out the operation. What would we do without you?"

I blushed slightly at her praise and nervously shook my head. "Oh no, I'm just doing what anyone in my position would. It's the least I can do."

"Ty Lee, you and I both know that you go above and beyond as Prince Zuko's retainer. And I am personally glad that you are here, you're a wonderful young girl. And I enjoy our little talks. Speaking of which, how are things going with our young prince? Any developments?"

My slight blush turned a deeper shade of red. "Umm… well I kind of kissed him on deck after the operation." Now that the adrenaline had died down, the reality of my actions was beginning to set in. She patted the cot beside her, inviting me to lie down like how we usually chatted. I stepped to the edge of the cot and let myself fall down slowly onto my back, landing softly onto the pillow with a sigh.

"To be young and in love," she remarked while holding her hand to her cheek. "So how did he react after your little stunt?"

"He didn't say a word, then he just marched off to the boiler room. It seems like every time I try to get closer, he drifts further away. I know we're not kids anymore but I've liked him for a long time and I still don't know what he thinks about me." I flipped over and buried my face in the pillow and quietly screamed in frustration.

"Oh dearie, I think you should try talking to him about it," she said as she soothingly rubbed my back. "Actually…" She paused so I peeked my eyes above the pillow, eyes looking up expectantly to urge her to continue.

"I think he and General Iroh just recently finished in the boiler room, Zuko passed by here not too long ago. Overheard him grumbling about going to the training room to blow off some steam. Maybe you could head down yourself and talk things out?"

"Do you really think I should?"

"I think that the longer you leave things uncertain the more it will take its toll on the both of you. And if it's any consolation, the rest of the crew shares my sentiment. We all think you make a very cute couple." She then gave me a wink and I buried my face in the pillow again.

_I knew it, everyone already knows. Why is Zuko so dense? Do I really have to spell it out for him? Maybe I should go down to the training room and ask him? Wait if he's already done in the boiler room…_

I lifted my head from the coolness and comfort of the pillow with newfound determination. "Do you remember if he still had his armor on?"

"Now that you mention it, I'm not sure…" She pondered for a moment as I looked at her expectantly.

"Were you able to hear the armor? His boots maybe?"

"Oh yes! I do believe we heard heavy boots when he passed us. Right Audino?" Audino nodded and chirped in affirmation.

I sprung from the cot and sprinted out of the sick bay. "Thank you, Chief Joy!" I called over my shoulder as I shot past the curtain and turned the corner.

"Anytime, Ty Lee! Hope to see you again soon!" She called after me as I dashed down the hall back towards my room.

_If Zuko still had his boots on he would have to strip his armor. And if Chief Joy says she overheard him say he's going to the training room, he'll be switching to his lighter training shoes. I probably have about 15 minutes or so._

I slid into my room at full speed through the open door, Riolu was seated on the floor cross legged with an Oran Berry in her paw. Riolu paused to observe me as I shed my parka and threw it onto my bed. Then I dashed to my wardrobe and threw the double doors open to grab a change of clothes for training. Luckily, I already had just the outfit in mind. I slipped out of my light pink tunic and grabbed a cropped top that I used for sparring. It was made of interwoven Ariados silk, a soft and breathable material that also dried fairly quickly. Perfect for training, most of my tops had Ariados silk in them. During my time at the palace I spent a lot of time around Azula and many of her clothes also used the material. The silk itself is strong and not easily torn or cut, and when it's woven into clothes the silk becomes softer but still retains its strength which is why they naturally hug the body. It's definitely more popular with Fire Nation girls, but most soldiers have a first layer made of the phenomenal material.

Opting for lighter tones I also grabbed my light beige leggings as well, also made with Ariados silk. Turning around I inspected myself in the mirror, after a few turns and poses to make sure everything was just right. Satisfied with my look I turned to Riolu.

"Want to join me Riolu? Or were you going to eat and turn in for tonight?"

Riolu nodded, scarfed down the berry, and laid down at the foot of my bed. Then once she was comfortable she gestured for me to go without her, waving her paw in a shooing motion with her eyes shut.

I rolled my eyes. "Suit yourself, goodnight Riolu," I ruffled the fur on her head affectionately. "Thanks for all your hard work today, I'll be back later."

Dashing through the hall like the wind I sprinted for the training room. Once I reached the top of the stairs I swung myself from an overhanging pipe to skip all of the stairs. Landing lightly, I rolled at the foot of the stairs then took off again at top speed. I reached the training room and pulled the door open. It was empty, everything neat and undisturbed. Zuko had Kurt and a team of engineers repurpose this storage room for a training room. It sported a collection of free weights, cushioned metal benches with straight bars for various lifts, a small matted arena for sparring, a vertical metal structure with more straight bars for squats and deadlifts, and a nice support beam across the ceiling with several metal grips for pull-ups and climbing. Everything was bolted to the floor or secured in a way that would prevent movement even if we were in a storm, to prevent self inflicted internal damage.

_Perfect. I made it before him. And I already worked up a little sweat racing down here. I think I'll do some flexibility work from the beam then. Maybe some hanging sit-ups, I'm still feeling pretty good._

With my agility I swung myself from bar to bar on the metal structure, to reach up for the grips on the support beam. There were several harnesses at the top of the beam to secure your feet and hands to do various exercises without fatiguing certain muscle groups, as well as prevent any falls or accidents. One of the rules the crew agreed upon was to have a partner with us for any training, in case there was an accident someone would be able to assist or retrieve someone who could help. Most people brought their Pokémon as well, it's a great bonding exercise to train alongside your Pokémon and work hard towards a common goal. Riolu would usually be eager to join me, but I have an inkling that she wanted to give me alone time with Zuko…

_Honestly, my Chi Bound knows me so well._

Locking my feet into one of the harnesses I let my weight fall backwards so that I hung upside down like a Noibat. I hung there quietly for a moment allowing my spine to elongate and I took this opportunity to rotate my arms in circles to warm my body up. After a brief warm up period I elected to do the hanging sit-ups while I was up here. Squeezing my core, I curled my body up towards my while holding my hands behind my head for support. I decided to give myself a little challenge, until Zuko arrives I won't stop doing sit-ups or until I can't curl myself up anymore. I've been able to do about 50 at a time straight, so if it comes down to multiple sets I decided I'll do at least 3 or 4.

Setting myself a good pace I reached 25 just as I heard the door open slowly and footsteps come in, I relaxed myself to see who it was. Standing there stiff as a board was Zuko in his training attire. He wore loose cloth trousers for free movement, and a light tunic with traditional Fire Nation red and black color and trim. Even though his tunic wasn't Ariados silk, he filled it quite nicely, his broad shoulders and wide chest framing his impressive upper body. I unlatched myself from the harness and swung down to greet him, and ogle at him a little bit more. I knew if I stayed long enough I'd get a chance to see Zuko's abs, he usually shed his shirt during training or when we sparred.

_Although, now that I think about it… It has been quite some time since we had a good spar, maybe he'll indulge me if I ask him._

As I walked up to him I noticed his stare, his eyes were fixated on me and I had been looked at this way by other male soldiers. It had been mostly innocent when we first set off, they probably thought I was cute. But now that I have grown older my body has gone through some changes. My chest is fuller even with my underbindings wrapped around them, my hips are wider only emphasizing my slim figure, and with the continued use of my legs my butt has become rounder as well. I've always enjoyed comfortable and stylish clothing and I love the feel of Ariados silk on my skin, but the hungry eyes of men have made me uncomfortable.

Looking into Zuko's eyes now, I feel some unease from his gaze, but mostly I think I feel… excited. I want him to look at me, it makes my stomach twist in knots, and my heart beats faster like a drum on Music Night. I could get lost in his smoldering amber eyes, and most nights I do imagine his hot touch on my soft skin. Heat rushed to my cheeks at those thoughts, but I didn't break eye contact with him.

_He still hasn't said anything since he came in… I wonder if he's feeling alright?_

"Umm… earth to Zuko?" I broke the silence timidly, knowing that my voice would bring the moment to an end.

_Just please don't notice how red my cheeks are, Zuko!_

Aang's POV

I was placed in a simple cell, chained to a wall at my wrists and ankles. The cumbersome shackles weighing my body down. I had enough slack to move freely about the cell so that I could retrieve meals, but chances of escaping on my own seemed slim. Even after eating a meal of vegetable broth and bread I felt weak, no strength to even airbend.

_Powerless._

The more I thought about the words the scarred prince said to me, the emptier I felt. As if every time it echoes in my head a void grows within me, sapping away my strength to fight and resist. I couldn't do anything to protect them other than surrender… wasn't this the best way? No bloodshed? Questions plagued my thoughts and left me restless. I haven't been separated from Appa since I chose him to be my Chi Bound. And since coming down to this cell, I felt a sudden twinge, as if a string had been cut in my chi network.

I've only been Chi Bound to Appa, and I didn't want to think of the possibilities.

_"I never said anything about the Avatar's dragon."_

The cold, rasping words of Prince Zuko echoed in my mind. I feared the worst. That my bond has been severed and I'm on my way to a familiar place filled with unfamiliar faces. Faces that want to see me in chains or worse… dead. I didn't receive as much guidance about being the Avatar from the monks before I ran away that night. But some of the conversations I overheard indicated that should I perish that the Avatar cycle would continue to the next element in the cycle.

_After air… after me… the next in the cycle would be water…_

Will they hold me prisoner and torture me? A bargaining chip to another country maybe? What if they kill me if they find out I only know airbending? What do they want from me?

I curled myself into a ball on the cold, steel floor and wept. Thrust 100 years into the future into a war I have no clue about, imprisoned in a cold and dark cell, my friends are all gone, I'm separated from my closest companion, and I can't even do anything.

_It's no use… I can't fight them all by myself…_

**Ba-thump.**

My body seemed to pulse in response to something, it was warm… and familiar. I sat myself up, the pulse felt invigorating.

**Ba-thump. Ba-thump. Ba-thump.**

The pulse quickened and I found myself standing, pulling at the chains with all of my might. I remember this feeling, it's the same feeling I had when I went through the ceremony with Appa. I smiled and tears of joy streamed down my face.

Even now, with the odds stacked against us, he follows me without hesitation. Wiping away the tears from my face, I chuckle to myself for ever having doubts and I think back to the words I whispered in his ear before I surrendered myself to the Fire Nation soldiers.

_"It's okay Buddy. I know you'll find me. You always do."_

**A/N: I'm on a roll! Feels like I'm on fire! You all can thank my friend for her continued support of this story and her inquisitive mind helps me explore ideas I've never considered before. Her passion for what she does is truly inspiring and it makes me write up a storm! Although I do hate to leave things on a cliffhanger like this. WIth Zuko and Ty Lee in the training room and Aang here at the end. The meeting of our two groups has left them on edge and I wanted to move things in a sweeter direction. Just a little taste of what is to come. I think before I release the next chapter I'm going to write another one or two so I can give you guys a little more. Hope those of you still with me want to see this story to the end as much as I do, it'll be a long journey so bear with me. Thank you all for the support, and for reading my story. Until next time! Fav and review!**


	9. A Fiery Tempest

Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction and is written for fun. Rights for Avatar The Last Airbender go to DiMartino, Konietzko, and Nickelodeon. Rights for Pokémon go to Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures. Any dialogue that matches or is similar to the original script is purely coincidental. I'm using the words that everybody else is using, I'm not capable of inventing a language like Dothraki. Enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 8

A Fiery Tempest

Katara's POV

I stare out into the open sea as the sun sets, the skirmish with the Fire Nation continuously playing in my head. Was there something more I could have done? Letting out a sigh I sit myself down onto the edge of the ice and hug my legs close to my chest. Then there was that encounter with that bubbly Fire Nation warrior, Ty Lee I think? She was so…

"Not what I expected," I grumbled to myself. I always had the memory of the raid that took my mother from me. The black and red armor, the pale masks hiding their hateful faces, and the flames… I shudder, the destruction the raid left and that lingering heat… In my mind I had painted the face of the enemy as those white masks and their black armor, the fire that they flung from their hands and feet, they were destruction, they were the bad guys. Their so called crusade to unite the world under one banner was just a shallow excuse to flaunt their power. I was convinced they just wanted to watch the world burn.

Then Ty Lee's smile flashed into my mind. Warm and inviting like a campfire. How she quickly apologized to Piplup after wounding it and even offered first aid. I glance down at the hand I shook hers with, I felt no malice from her, she was simply fighting for something she believed in.

_So what is it that she believes in? What makes her fight so fiercely and passionately? And why would she drop her guard and assist an enemy? Why is someone like her fighting for the Fire Nation?_

I shake my head furiously in confusion, my thoughts making me doubt so much of what I've grown up believing, about the war and the Fire Nation. I never gave much thought as to why the war was even happening in the first place. And now everything is changing again. Footsteps crunched in the snow behind me and Sokka sat down beside me silently, a serious expression on his face. He scooted closer, not so subtly shaking his shoulder towards me. I giggled and taking his offer, I leaned my head on his shoulder.

"You haven't let me do this in a long time," I said as I nuzzled into the fur trim of his parka.

"I don't think you've really needed it," he said as he shrugged his other shoulder. "Since mom passed you've been the one to take up the reins with things around the village. I've focused on keeping my promise to dad, protecting the village and you. But you've taken care of all of us, mom would be so proud of you."

I wiped the rapidly forming tears from my eyes and embraced my brother in a warm hug. "Thank you Sokka, I really appreciate this. You're turning into a splendid warrior, Dad would be so proud."

I paused for a moment, choosing my words carefully.

"Sokka, I think…"

"We need to go after Aang, fight the Fire Nation, and bust him out?"

I blinked at him incredulously. Completely taken aback, and almost relieved that he was thinking the same thing as I was.

"He's the Avatar. The world's last hope to bring peace and balance. I wouldn't be able to rest easy knowing he's out there and that we can change the outcome of the war."

"I agree. Gran Gran helped me pack our bags and gave me the low down on some of the stories she recalls about the Avatar. Aang would have to master the elements in the order following the Avatar cycle, that means he has to master water first, then earth, and then fire. Which means our primary objective would be to find a master waterbender in the North Pole. Since the South is well… y'know?"

He gestured at the our village and the area around us. We dwarfed our sister tribe in the North and almost all of our benders were taken in the Southern Raids several years ago. Taking it all in after so long and after everything that happened recently, it feels so surreal.

There was a small splash as Piplup resurfaced from the ocean, snapping me out of my reflective daze. Piplup was crying out in a panic, frantically gesturing towards something further out in the water.

"APPA!" I exclaimed as I shed my parka and tossed it at Sokka.

"Katara are you crazy?!" Sokka called after me as I sprung from the ice and plunged into the frigid waters below. I resurfaced quickly and waved back to him to show him I was fine.

Naturally we built up a tolerance to the sub-zero temperatures after surviving here for so long, but not even our bravest warriors plunged into the sea. I know from stories about the waterbenders that temperature control of water is one of the many talents we possess. I'd never attempted it up to this point, and as I swam out to Piplup I thought about how crazy it was to experiment with such a technique without practicing. Mentally facepalming myself I reached Piplup and she dove straight down beckoning me to follow after.

Truthfully, the water was freezing, but it still felt as if I was still on land and the temperature wasn't bothering me. The only conclusion I could reach about how this was possible for me now was because of the little blue Pokémon swimming ahead of me. The sun was almost gone, but there was enough sunlight for me to make out the shape of Appa. He had become lodged between sunken glacier chunks, the water wasn't too deep but from what I could tell one of the ice chunks had trapped one of his wings underneath it.

I picked up a nearby spike from Cloyster shell and started to chip away at the ice trapping Appa. Small chunks were coming off but I knew we were pressed for time. I gestured for Piplup to assist me and with a nod Piplup swam up to get a little bit of distance from the ice. Then Piplup nosedived at the ice while spinning rapidly like a drill. The attack connected with the ice and chunks of ice dispersed in the water at a rapid rate.

_Perfect! Great job Piplup, now we just have to get Appa to wake up and swim up to the surface._

Not wasting anytime, I swam up to Appa's snout and started to gently shake him, trying best to rouse him. His eyes stirred for a moment and he met my gaze and I frantically gestured to the surface. He weakly raised his head to the surface and shut his eyes, fighting fatigue and pain. I despaired when his eyes shut again and his head started to droop, the bubbles coming from his mouth slowing as his breathing slowed. I could feel the tears forming in my eyes, even underwater. Piplup stopped and shared a sorrowful look at me as we looked at the trapped dragon.

_Oh La… his strength is almost gone. He's dying…_

All of a sudden his eyes shot open with a flash of brilliant white light. The light from his eyes traveled outwards and enveloped his body, the damage from the earlier attacks seeming to disappear completely. Appa, now fully alert once more, glanced at the ice in frustration, pulling his wing in attempts to free himself. The wing slowly starting to budge from underneath with some of the ice gone, but was still trapped under tremendous weight. I signaled to Piplup and she resumed drilling into the ice while I waved away the ice chunks with my bending. With Appa's added strength to our efforts his wing dislodged. He gestured with his neck for us to grab the reins and without a second thought we did, without missing a beat. Appa sprung himself from the sea floor up towards the surface with surprising speed, dragging us along as I clung desperately to the reins and Piplup's small form.

Breaking from the water's surface, Appa leveled out and hovered above the ocean. Craning his head back he growled in concern as I started coughing up seawater.

"I'm fine Appa, really," I rasped in between coughs. "Are you alright?"

Appa let out a triumphant roar and flared his wings with surprising force, causing small gusts to cut through the surrounding air.

"I'll take that as a yes," I beamed at the dragon Pokémon. Relief washing over me to see its condition improved. Recalling Appa take the onslaught of attacks from the Fire Nation and falling into the water, sent shivers up and down my spine. It happened so fast… right before Ty Lee took off for the ship, their mission completed with Aang in custody and Appa taken care of. My thoughts drifted from the events of the skirmish to that white light I just witnessed underwater.

_I wonder what that white light was? It was similar to the pillar of light when we broke Aang out of the ice. I've seen a light similar to it as well before… I just can't quite recall where though…_

Appa descended slowly back to the ice where Sokka was waiting, we were still a little distance away but I think his jaw was dropped. Shaking my head of the thoughts about the white light, I bent the water out of my clothes and off of my body to keep as warm as possible. When we landed I climbed down from the saddle and Sokka handed me back my parka, which I quickly replaced and nuzzled into its warmth.

"I can't believe you just dove into the water like that and you're not absolutely freezing," Sokka remarked. "And I know I'm not hallucinating. Where is all the damage that Appa took? He looks completely unscathed!"

"I'm not really sure myself," I replied. "There was a white light coming from his eyes and I guess it healed his injuries."

Sokka's expression turned sarcastically serious as he seemed to ponder my statement, his eyes darting from Appa's pink eyes to me. With a shrug of his shoulders he continued his rambling, "Let's not question our stroke of good luck then, here's your pack. We gotta go after that ship before it gets too far."

I nodded in affirmation, taking my pack from his outstretched hand. Turning to face Appa once more I placed my hand on his side and he craned his head to look me in the eyes.

"Can you take us to Aang, Appa? We've gotta rescue him from that ship."

He growled softly and nodded his head, then he lowered his entire body and beckoned us to climb on. We quickly climbed into the saddle and secured our packs to the sides with rope. Oshawott and Piplup were jumping up and down with enthusiasm as they chattered with their new large and powerful companion. Appa replied with low growls and stood up tall, craning his head back expectantly as if waiting for something.

"What was it that kid said before?" Sokka wondered out loud. "Yee-haw? Blast off? Yippee ki yay? Yip-yip?"

At the last phrase, Appa took off with a great beat of his clawed wings, wind rushing into our faces as we picked up speed. Rushing into the distance we left the South Pole behind us, pursuing that steel ship, and the world's last hope to end this war.

Zuko's POV

Looking into Ty Lee's eyes at that moment, something strange happened to me as she beamed back at me expectantly. Her warm smile had a very soothing effect, it must have been the heat of the room or me unconsciously releasing more heat but Ty Lee's cheeks were slightly flushed. I had a brief moment of calm wash over me, then the nervousness twisted knots in my stomach again. Taking notice of her attractive features highlighted by her outfit, I cast my eyes down unable to meet her innocent gaze. I don't know how she still acts so nonchalant all the time, as if she doesn't notice the effect she has on me.

_Or maybe she is doing it on purpose? Is she… flirting? With me?_

"You ok, Zuko?" Ty Lee echoed again, bringing me out of my daze. She was leaning forward at an angle to look up at me, her hands laced behind her back.

_Get it together, Zuko! She's your friend and your vassal! Calm down!_

I shook my head vigorously to bring myself out of my inner thoughts and regain my composure. Lifting my head up, I gazed back into her playful eyes. She smiled at me and giggled as she cartwheeled backwards. Her acrobatics were always impressive from a young age and she continued to hone it all on her own. Although I think that circus we watched watched at an Earth Kingdom port may have inspired her even more. She begged me to stay for as long as the circus was in town so she could watch. By a stroke of misfortune the main acrobat of the circus had twisted her ankle before their final performance. Ty Lee didn't even hesitate to step in to fill the role. Having watched them for so long she was able to flawlessly replicate the style of the circus acrobat she so admired. She was mesmerizing to watch that night, the way she flitted around the stage like a Ninjask was a sight to behold. She belonged in that spotlight, her speed and grace captivated that audience.

After that performance, the ringmaster wanted her to join his circus. I remember the knots that formed in my stomach at his invitation. Right as I was about to swing at the ringmaster Ty Lee responded, "Thank you so much for the invitation. And for letting me learn so much about acrobatics. But I have a duty to my nation and that's to protect this handsome gentleman right here!" She wrapped her arms around my left arm and pulled me close to her. I was beyond embarrassed but her response had dissipated the knots and I was relieved, no, I was happy. To think that I could have lost my good friend to the circus was silly, Ty Lee and I had been through a lot and she teased me afterward for ever doubting her loyalty to me. Every now and then her smile reminds of that night when I watched her on stage that night, the absolute bliss and joy she gets from moving around like that is painted on her face. And I'm lucky to call her my friend.

"Care to spar, Zuko?" Her sweet voice brought me back from my trip down memory lane. She was standing in the sparring arena, fitting her protective headgear. She then grabbed the other set of protective sparring gear and tossed them in my direction. I snatched the gear out of the air and placed the headgear on first. My nerves finally calmed, I sported my calm and confident smirk as I slipped the sparring gloves over my wrists and fastened them tight. I stepped between the ropes that surrounded the arena and met her in the middle of the mat.

"You're on, Ty Lee. Hand to hand combat only, as usual."

"And you lose if you yield!" Ty Lee leapt directly into my partial blindside of my scarred face and launched a vicious combination of jabs aimed at my midsection. I backstepped and circled around her counter-clockwise to get her back in my full vision.

I was only partially blind on my left side, my field of vision was slightly limited making it difficult to track movements. Letting out a dry chuckle at her textbook attack at my physical weakness, I continued reciting the rules as I tightened my circle to close in on her.

"Or when your bottom hits the mat!" My hands supporting my weight I spun into a low wheel kick that I would use for firebending. Intent on taking out her legs, she nimbly took to the air, using my momentum from the first circle I transferred my weight to one hand to push myself up as I continued the roundhouse kick to connect to her side. To my surprise, instead of dodging my kick she caught my right thigh in a grapple.

"You thought I would dodge, didn't you?" She teased me with a raised eyebrow. I shrugged my shoulders, I know her style revolves around swift movements and counters from all angles. Typically that means she would dodge most blows, especially large ones like my wheel kick, but my current predicament would indicate otherwise. I wasted no time exchanging words, she had me in a tight spot, so I kicked off of the ground with my free leg and twisted myself in her grip to throw a sidekick towards her headgear. She let go of my leg and ducked my kick and wasted no time in sweeping a low kick towards my legs after I landed. This time I hopped forward over her kick, arcing another downwards kick towards her head gear. She rolled away from my kick and smiled up at me.

"And you thought I would backstep, right? Maintain my distance and play to my longer reach?" I teased back. She smiled. Ty Lee was always cheerful, taking on her work with a smile on her face. I knew that smile well, she could light up the room and our crew's morale was always high. This smile was different, she thrived in combat. True to the Fire Nation in her blood, the adrenaline from combat fueled our inner fires. We learned, adapted, we thirsted for it, sought it out. Uncle would say that that same fire drove him to invent to find an alternate course lest we drive ourselves into destruction. 100 years ago we started a war, the reasons still haunt many of us in the Fire Nation, myself and Uncle included. I know it affects Ty Lee too, but it doesn't stop the fire from burning. But we're still trying to learn, if the war was a mistake, or if there is some unknown force out there opposing us that we felt the need to fight back.

As we continued to spar, everything became a blur. We continued to clash in an exchange of blows, our focus intensifying. Before I knew it, we were both on our backs panting from exertion, sweat dripping from our brows.

"I guess," Ty Lee chirped between heavy breaths. "It's another draw, my prince."

"You sure? I think you hit the mat first, Ty Lee," I replied still panting.

I heard a rush of movement to my left and Ty Lee was straddling my midsection. Her weight and warmth surrounded my torso, but I was too tired to even be embarrassed. I just looked back up at her and after a brief moment I rolled my eyes.

"Alright," I protested. "I yield, you win, Now will you please get off of me, Ty Lee? I can barely catch my breath."

She didn't move. I looked up at her about to protest, but stopped myself when I noticed her expression. It was an expression I see every day when I gaze into the mirror at my reflection, uncertainty. Her eyes clouded in a swirl of emotions as her thoughts combat each other in a never ending battle. She was fighting with something in her mind, something she was unsure of.

_This is so unlike her. I've never seen her like this._

I know we don't spend every waking moment together, but I know I haven't seen this expression on her face before. My body moved instinctively, my right hand coming up to softly cup her face. The fog ceased swirling in her eyes and she leaned into my hand and chuckled as if relieved. I smiled back at her as she nuzzled into my palm. There was another pause, as we just stayed there breathing in the other's closeness.

"Zuko, I…" Ty Lee's voice broke through the silence and my eyes locked with hers. She started to lower her face towards me, my hand still cupping her face as she inched closer… closer… and then…

CRASH! CLANG!

The whole ship rumbled as something crashed into us. We both scrambled to our feet, throwing the sparring gear to our sides as we sprinted out of the training room. As we sped down the corridors towards the disturbance, the ship rocked again. My heart sank into my stomach as I started to realize what was happening. I sprinted ahead of Ty Lee, spurred on by my own desperation.

_Something is ramming us from the side! Don't tell me…_

I rounded the last corner towards the brig and threw the metal door open. Once inside the room, I fell to my knees and screamed in rage. Ty Lee rounded the corner shortly after and placed a comforting hand upon my back. She was saying something but I couldn't hear her. Deaf to all sound, I was completely absorbed in the state of the brig, especially the absence of my only captive.

The chains lay discarded on the floor and pools of silver liquid indicated that the Avatar had melted the cuffs off with firebending. The side of my ship was dented inwards thanks to whatever was ramming us, probably that stubborn dragon. Scorch marks riddled the entire cell and there was also a gaping hole in the side of my ship, just large enough for a person to fit through. My emotions boiled and swirled in my stomach forming knots of heat. This was beyond frustrating, I was naive and foolish to think he would be secure with just shackles and a holding cell.

_He escaped. Once again the Avatar was out of my reach._

Aang's POV

The pulsing sensation grew stronger with each passing second. An eerie white glow illuminated the room, following the pattern of pulsing I felt in my body.

CRASH! CLANG!

Something large rammed into the side of the ship closest to my holding cell. I peered out through the barred porthole at the edge of my cell. A large green figure sped towards the ship and rammed it a second time, knocking me backwards.

"APPA! You found me Buddy! I'm here!" I cried out in excitement through tears of relief and joy.

"Aang we came to rescue you!" Katara shouted above the crashing waves.

Appa let out a sad growl, he couldn't break through the steel of the ship with his power. The glowing continued to flicker.

"Get clear of the wall!" I called out to them. And then the white glow surged again and I felt the familiar sense of watching my body from the outside just behind myself.

I felt my temperature rise and the heat erupted from my wrists in fearsome flames. The shackles slowly melted away as I simultaneously swirled the air around me. My airbending threw the hot liquid away from my wrists as it fell harmlessly to the floor. Fire still dancing around me as I continued the airbending form, swirling flames around me in a fiery tempest. I tightened my spinning and twisted the tornado of flames into the wall of my cell. The continuous exposure of the heat digging into the wall slowly started to melt away the steel until there was a small hole for me to fit through. All at once fatigue rushed over me and the glowing faded as I fell through the hole towards the waves below.

Instead of the cold embrace of the frigid ocean, I landed on solid ground in the warm embrace of someone's arms. I blinked weakly, trying hard to keep my eyes open as my vision blurred.

"That was awesome Aang! You really are the Avatar if you can bend like that!" Sokka shouted from the front as he clasped Appa's reins.

"You're safe now, Aang. We've got you."

I turned my head to look back up into the blue eyes Katara, her smile letting me know that I was finally safe. Weakly, I returned her smile with the biggest grin I could muster.

"Thanks you guys," I replied, the exhaustion very clear in my voice. I sat myself up slowly and crawled my way to the front. Sokka handed me the reins as he made his way back to join his sister and their Pokémon. Taking the driver seat I stroked the neck of my partner.

"You especially Buddy, thank you for saving me." Appa growled in response, clearly happy to be reunited with me as well.

"Alright we're clear of the ship, now what?" Sokka inquired out loud, earning him an elbow from Katara.

"Come on Sokka, give Aang a little break," Katara scolded Sokka through gritted teeth. "He just escaped a Fire Navy ship, and he's exhausted from bending."

"It's alright Katara," I called back to them, some of my strength returning. "We do need a destination and I have just the place in mind." I patted Appa's side to address him. "Appa we're going home, set a course for the Southern Air Temple."

Appa roared in affirmation and turned north towards the mountain island that was our home. Leaving the steel ship behind us, we sailed through the sky.

_We need a safe place to rest. And I want answers._

**A/N: Sorry for the delay everyone! A lot has been going on with me, but I won't bore you all with the details. The important thing is that I've re-emerged with newfound determination to continue our adventure. For those of you rejoining me after the hiatus I'm sure you guys have noticed that I replaced Salamence with Drampa. After more research I found that Drampa fit more for Appa and while I'll have to take liberties with some elements I had planned initially, I think the change was a good one. Drampa has been fitted into the previous chapter as well so those of you joining us for the first time you didn't miss too much, Appa is still a badass! I know this chapter is a little on the shorter side and we only went through 3 POVs instead of all 4 of our protagonists. I'm sure you all are noticing subtle changes from canon, I'm making these deliberate as I want to dive deeper into my story more and use the show's plot line as a linear framework to guide us. The next chapter is already underway, look forward to another update soon. Thank you for your patience and support, fav and review if you have the time! :)**


	10. Fanning The Flames

Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction and is written for fun. Rights for Avatar The Last Airbender go to DiMartino, Konietzko, and Nickelodeon. Rights for Pokémon go to Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures. Any dialogue that matches or is similar to the original script is purely coincidental. I'm using the words that everybody else is using, I'm not capable of inventing a language like Dothraki. Enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 9

Fanning the Flames

Ty Lee's POV

I wasn't too far behind Zuko but his desperate sprint put quite a bit of distance. Rounding the corner with a quick turn, the scene I found made my heart drop into my stomach. The physical state of the room was certainly distressing, pools of melted metal, scorch marks decorating the cell, and the gaping hole in the back wall of the cell. What really hit me though was the kneeling form of a defeated prince. Collapsed on his knees with his head hanging, Zuko slammed the steel floor in frustration.

_This is too much. We just got the Avatar and just like that we're back to square one… _

"Oh, Zuko…" my voice quivered. I approached him slowly and placed a comforting hand at the center of his large back. Drawing soothing circles, I tried to coax him out of his distress and calm his stormy aura. The colors of his aura swirled in a blend of red and black, frustration and despair. "I'm so sorry."

I knelt beside him and carefully wrapped my arms around his neck. Too afraid to look into his eyes right now, I gave him a light squeeze to let him know that I was here. After a brief moment, he relaxed a little and his arms came up to return my embrace. I smiled and basked in his warmth.

_I could stay like this forever… But there is much to be done._

Steeling myself, I pulled myself away from Zuko and gripped his shoulders lightly. We made eye contact, but he cast his eyes downward with a defeated look.

"He was right here," he rasped as the ocean winds whistled through the hole in the ship. "I was such a fool to think I could hold the Avatar like a common thief."

"It's not your fault Zuko," I answered him and shook my head. "I was so caught up in your successful capture, and your commanding victory from the battle that I neglected proper preparations. I'll make sure we have increased security next time and that he's bound more thoroughly. It looks like he firebent to escape, we'll have to bind his hands and feet directly next time. Keyword, next. We can find and capture him again. At least now we know he's alive, we're not just chasing a ghost anymore. He's flesh and blood, just like you and me. We can do this Zuko, together. " I stood up and offered my hand to pull him up. He stared at my hand for a moment, then reached out and I pulled him up to stand.

"You're right Ty Lee," he replied with confidence returning to his voice. "He shouldn't be able to get too far. The dragon was wounded in the battle, but we'll have to stop and get this ship repaired and ressupplied. We can catch up."

"Glad you're in better spirits now, my prince," I cheerfully chirped as I took a step back to admire his revitalized expression. He looked more sure of himself. And now that we knew the Avatar was alive and well, we could pursue him with more focus.

"It's all thanks to you, Ty Lee," he said warmly as he looked into my eyes with a soft expression.

I felt my cheeks start to warm, so I quickly ducked past him and spun around the corner as I called back to him. "Hurry up Zuko! We've got an Avatar to catch up to!"

Making a Beedrill line for the mess hall, I took a quick stock of our supplies there. Checking things off in my head I concluded we had supplies for about another 2 weeks at sea. General Iroh mentioned that Zhao's shipyard was about 3 days from our position. Taking into account the current damage to the ship, we should be able to make the trip in about 5 days if we rotate personnel and Pokémon to manually propel the ship through the waters.

Wasting no time, I headed to the engineer's room to give an updated damage report. Dashing past my quarters, Riolu joined me on my errands. I greeted my companion with a smile and a quick hug as we continued towards the engineer's room next to the boiler room. The initial debris from the battle had left the engineer's room completely blocked off and had caused significant damage to the adjoining boiler room. I knocked on the steel door to announce my presence then carefully pulled the door open. Kurt and General Iroh were already speaking at the workstation bolted to the floor, papers and various instruments littered the steel desk.

"Ah, Miss Ty Lee!" General Iroh bellowed cheerfully, "Good of you to join us. I imagine you're here to discuss the logistics of our manual propulsion to Zhao's ship harbor?"

"Yes I am, General Iroh." I answered while bowing my head respectfully. "The trip would normally take us 3 days…"

"But given the current damage to our vessel," Kurt cut in. "The trip could take 5-7 days depending on favorable sea conditions and the performance of our crew and their Pokémon."

I nodded in agreement, dismissing Kurt's interruption of my report. He was just being analytical, he's an engineer after all. That didn't stop Riolu from glaring at him while waving her paws threateningly. I carefully slid myself in front of Riolu, as she continued to gesture at Kurt from behind my leg. Trying not to draw Kurt's attention and to keep Riolu from attacking him, I silently mouthed the words "Help me" to General Iroh.

"Actually," General Iroh continued with a cough into his fist to draw Kurt's attention, registering my little situation with an empathetic look. "I still think we'll make good time, 3 days at most. The weather conditions look favorable and my old friend has awakened from his slumber, he's back to full strength."

He made a dramatic gesture of flexing his own arms while grasping a Pokeball, showing off a crimson Pokeball with a distinguished yellow pattern similar to the shell of the Pokémon contained within.

"Turtonator is awake?" Kurt inquired with clear excitement in his voice. Turtonator had a reputation as being an exceptionally powerful Pokémon, aiding General Iroh not only in battle, but also with engineering related tasks.

"Yes, so I think that will simplify the working period for manual propulsion. Turtonator will be able to handle the heavy lifting for the next few days. We just have to make sure the lummox is fed," General Iroh remarked as he stroked his beard thoughtfully. "When I come by to feed him, I'll add my efforts to his. That should keep us on schedule to reach Zhao's harbor for repairs. Once we arrive we can regroup and resupply, and make a plan to pursue the Avatar."

"Thank you both. I'll go update Zuko," I acknowledged. "Come on Riolu." And with a bow to both of them I turned on my heel and left the room dragging Riolu close behind me.

Dipping out of sight of the doorway I proceeded to scold Riolu. "Riolu, I do appreciate that you're protective of me, but could you at least try not to pummel any friendlies?"

She huffed and crossed her arms in defiance. Riolu proceeded to grumble quietly, but ultimately nodded with understanding and wrapped my leg in a protective hug.

"Aww you're so precious!" I exclaimed while petting her bristled fur affectionately. "I can't stay mad at you. I really do appreciate it Riolu." Bringing my voice back to a more serious tone to thank my partner and show her my genuine appreciation. I kissed the top of her head and she nuzzled into my neck, returning my loving gesture despite her adversity to such displays of affection.

We continued in comfortable silence until we reached Zuko's room. Right as I was about to knock on the door I heard Zuko yelling and several small explosions, probably him firebending or his Pokémon responding to whatever was going on in there.

"Zuko!" I cried in a panic as I threw the door open to rush inside with Riolu on my heels. "What's the matter?" His desk was flipped over, a scroll bound with the Fire Seal hung in Zuko's hand, small embers danced in the air along with remnants of burning paper. One such piece floated in front of me and I snatched it just before the last of it turned to ash. Very ornate and distinguished handwriting, and a name: _Zuzu. _

The piece disintegrated and the embers started to fade to black. I knew all too well who wrote that letter and it explained Zuko's state right now. So soon after losing the Avatar to hear from her right now would put him on edge. I glanced at his Pokémon huddled close to him. Both clearly a little shaken at their warrior's display of rage, but unwilling to leave his side. Chimchar reached for Zuko's trousers and tugged them lightly while Growlithe nudged the back of the same leg trying to get Zuko's attention. He slowly crouched down and reached out to both of them.

"I'm so sorry you guys," he bowed his head as he apologized to his Pokémon. "We just lost the Avatar and now I get this letter from her. Such bad timing." Chimchar and Growlithe simply nodded and returned his gesture, nuzzling themselves into his hands to comfort him.

I let out the breath I didn't even know I was holding in. Zuko's head flipped over to look at me in the doorway, his expression still very dark and serious.

"Is that letter from who I think it is?" I timidly asked, Zuko only got like this when she was involved. The timing really was bad, if only we hadn't lost the Avatar so soon, maybe he would have actually been excited to hear from her. Even so, I didn't really want them to see Zuko like this. He was doing so well, becoming a splendid firebender and respected commander. This couldn't get any worse.

"Yes," he replied with a serious undertone. "Azula and her escort will be meeting up with us at Zhao's harbor."

_Of course it could get worse. Of course they were going to Zhao's harbor. Just our rotten luck._

With a loud sigh, he rose and met my gaze. "I'm sorry you had to see me like this Ty Lee. I'll clean up here and meet you and Uncle for dinner. I won't be long."

I smiled back at him and nodded. Overjoyed that he was bouncing back so fast.

"In that case, I will make the necessary preparations to greet the Crown Princess," I answered him. "I'll notify your Uncle and the crew as well." I bowed my head and promptly left the room with Riolu following close behind. My pace was composed as I passed by several crew members on my way up to the main deck. Even while I maintained a poker face when making the announcement, my hands were trembling. I couldn't fathom why she had to show up now. Azula had a way of getting under people's skins, especially Zuko's. As the crew chattered amongst themselves I made eye contact with Iroh. His expression was stern, but resigned to the fact that their reunion was inevitable. We exchanged a simple nod of understanding and dispersed along with the rest of the crew.

_We have to be there for Zuko no matter what. No matter what Azula does or says. I have to support him. _

Zuko's POV

The days passed quickly. After receiving and burning Azula's taunting letter, I spent most of my time in the training room going through my firebending forms and sparring anyone who was willing. My displays of bending in the training room were as Uncle put it, 'Very forceful.' Azula really picked the worst possible time to show up now and I imagine her influence is affecting my bending, specifically my emotions. I was angry at first, and I certainly lost my composure immediately after reading the scroll. Thankfully, only Ty Lee witnessed my initial outburst, I didn't want the crew to feel the need to keep their distance from me.

After a while the crew approached me more openly while I was training and would spar with me. It was a welcome change and I felt that it was thanks to Ty Lee and my Uncle's influence, yet they insisted that it was because of my leadership at the South Pole. Still, I had my suspicions that my leadership played only a small part, but I wouldn't question the result. I felt that my training was progressing even further with the opportunity to spar with my crew.

Putting such thoughts away I shifted my focus back to our current sparring partners. Another member of our bending crew alongside their Darumaka, facing each other we bowed and assumed fighting stances. After a brief pause another crew member shot a small ball of fire into the ring to signal the match to begin. This would mark our 6th consecutive match of today. We've managed our energy pretty well thus far and bested each opponent with combinations of fire attacks and coordinated close combat, but fatigue was certainly becoming an issue with each successive fight. I darted my eyes quickly to Chimchar to check his condition. Chimchar's breathing was showing signs of fatigue, and I could feel my own legs starting to grow heavy.

"Chimchar," I called out to my partner and he eagerly responded with a cry, **Chiimchaar**! We leapt forward in unison to close the distance between our foes. There was a brief look of surprise on the crew member's face, Chimchar and I had been rushing most of our opponents aiming to end matches swiftly with coordinated strikes before finishing with close range fire attacks. I smirked at his surprise, while such expressions were typically hidden by their helmets in sparring I could see them plain as day.

_He probably thought we'd adjust our tactics to account for the fatigue from the consecutive matches. _

"We'll stick to our guns Chimchar!" I launched two compacts fireballs from my fists as Chimchar leapt onto my back. The fireballs were quickly repelled by our foes, but it was only a diversion. Now we had established ourselves as the aggressors and they were only left the option to defend as we closed the distance. I crouched low with Chimchar still clinging to my tunic, then I spun clockwise into a low fire sweep to break their stances and formation. Darumaka was forced to leap left and repel the flames, and despite his partner's efforts the bender's stance still broke as he failed to recover his footing. And that was all the opening we needed, I flurried my fire daggers and stopped them short of my opponent's neck. The bender quickly yielded and I helped him to his feet as we turned our attention to our Pokémon still locked in combat.

Chimchar was much swifter in close quarters than the crew's Darumaka. Darumaka boasted exceptional fire power, but in close combat, I knew Chimchar had an edge with his speed. We only struggled somewhat against the crew members with Houndour. Their innate Flash Fire was certainly tricky to work around, usually we'd use our own fire attacks to increase their power in assaults. Being on the opposing side and having our own fire attacks seemingly sealed proved to be troublesome.

Chimchar opened with a quick fiery tackle to knock the airborne Darumaka even further, then leapt in pursuit and attacked with a successive series of Fury Swipes and point blank Ember blasts leaving behind a cloud of smoke. After the smoke cleared, Chimchar had both fists raised in triumph and struck a victory pose. Our opponent made their way over to Darumaka and cradled him as he offered it an Oran Berry to recover its strength.

The whole crew chuckled at Chimchar's showmanship. I smiled as I shed my tunic to wipe the sweat from my body. Making my way back to the corner of the ring I propped myself against the metal post and hung onto the carbon reinforced ropes with both arms on either side of me. Chimchar finished his posing as the crew cheered him on, after his opponent Darumaka shuffled to his feet after eating the Oran Berry. Zipping to his opponent, Chimchar extended a closed fist to acknowledge his opponent and Darumaka bumped his tiny fist against Chimchar's with a congratulatory cry, **Da-r-r-ru**. With a nod and response, **Chim-char**! He then darted back to my side and scaled the post behind me and proceeded to play the drums on my shaved head.

"Alright Chimchar," I chuckled, "Enough of that, I swear sometimes I think you're having too much fun." Chimchar responded with a mischievous giggle, but ceased his drum playing and leapt down in front of me and held his fist out to me.

"Great job partner." I bumped his fist with my own then proceeded to wipe more of my sweat from my body.

I really need to ask Uncle and Kurt if we can ventilate this space better. Especially when we're firebending in here, it gets pretty humid with the heat from the fire and with only a single air duct to siphon the air and heat, it can quickly turn into an unwanted sauna.

Despite the recent Avatar mishap at the South Pole, I couldn't waver in my command. Especially not because my sister was taunting me. Azula was going to the harbor to award Zhao for his recent promotion and contribution to the war effort, her letter still echoed in my thoughts as I sparred with the 4th crew member today:

_Dear Zuzu, _

_It looks like we'll be reuniting soon if your heading is the same as ours. I couldn't help but notice the stacks of black smoke coming from your ship. Looks pretty damaged to me, so I imagine you'll be getting repairs at Zhao's harbor. The ice is very dangerous and you really should give it a wide berth. That hole in the side of your ship looks troubling as well. You'll have to give me all of the details when we arrive at the harbor, Zuzu._

_Mai and I will be going there to award Commander Zhao for his war contributions on behalf of Father. Hope your hunt for the Avatar has been going well. See you soon, it's been far too long brother. _

_~Azula_

I could just hear the seething sarcasm and venom as I read the message. It took all of my fiber not to burn the scroll after reading that childhood nickname she branded me with. At first it was cute, but as we grew up Azula's use of it become less affectionate and more of a way to taunt me. Just thinking about it makes my blood boil!

_When did Azula change so much? And why does she feel the need to spite me?_

To this day I cannot understand her. My banishment probably gave her the time to garner the favor of the Fire Elders and Fire Council. I'd fallen behind since my journey began, regaining any favor from the elders and the council would be a tall order. Azula was also a prodigy firebender, much better than I was from a young age. She was Father's favorite, my banishment was probably more convenient for him. Giving him the time to vet Azula to succeed him, and appeal to the court to disregard my claim to the throne. As his firstborn son he tried to guide me initially, but I continued to disappoint him. And when Azula demonstrated her talents, he shifted his attention to her. Leaving me to my own devices as I struggled with my bending. Lu Ten and Uncle Iroh tried to help me when they could but it wouldn't replace the pride I felt from learning from my Father. I felt abandoned by my Father, cast aside, deemed unworthy of his time or attention. Mother stayed by my side to comfort me, I was grateful to have that time with her. She even rejected Father's advances to have a second son, effectively foiling his plans to have a male heir to the throne. He grew bitter and cold to Mother and I as time went on, and fully invested in vetting Azula.

In spite of my personal feelings, I could see the merit in having Azula lead our nation. Her bending is fierce, her battle tactics are peerless, and her decisiveness and cunning only accented her talents. A part of me believes that Azula is right for our nation during this war. But now I'm not so sure, it doesn't seem that anything positive will come from prolonged conflict. The greatness of the Fire Nation can be shared with the world peacefully, our aggression towards our neighbors and how the war started is bizarre.

_It doesn't make sense. And if anyone is going to have answers, it's going to be the Avatar. He was there, or rather... he was supposed to be… But surely he must know something. I just have to bring him home so he can speak with Father, then we can end this war._

The door to the training room creaked open as I wiped the sweat from my body with my tunic. Everyone's attention shifted over to the entrance as Ty Lee held the door open and searched the room. She spotted me quickly and seemed to faintly blush as her eyes darted down and up and back down, then she averted her gaze. I looked at her quizzically and felt Chimchar tug at my training pants. I looked down at Chimchar and he pointed sheepishly at my right hand. I gazed down and realized I was holding my tunic in my hands.

_I completely spaced!_

Quickly regaining my composure I called out to Ty Lee to break the silence before it became more awkward for anyone.

"Did you have a report Ty Lee? Sorry about that, it's just so hot in here."

"Yes," she answered in a low voice and then paused as her eyes darted up and down again. "It certainly is… hot."

Unable to hear her across the room over the scattered laughter of the crew, I cleared my throat before continuing, " I'll need to ask Kurt if there's any way to improve the ventilation in here for firebending. So was there something to report Ty Lee?"

"Yes, Zuko!" She chirped. "We're pulling into the harbor as we speak. Uncle Iroh asked me to inform you and the crew training with you to prepare to disembark."

"Right," I replied then turned to face the crew. "Alright everyone! Let's wrap up here then meet everyone on the main deck!"

The crew saluted and answered in unison, "Yes, Prince Zuko!"

Their thunderous reply reverberated throughout the training room and I felt a surge go throughout my body. They then proceeded to shuffle about the room clearing the equipment and gathering used rags and tunics to take to the laundry room next door.

"Ty Lee, please inform Uncle that we will convene on the main deck and prepare to disembark once we finish docking at Zhao's harbor."

"You got it, Prince Zuko," She mimicked the crew and gave a flamboyant salute. Then she backed out of the room and closed the door.

Ty Lee's POV

I pulled the door shut behind me, then turned away from it and slid down to the floor into a crouch. Still feeling the heat in my cheeks I touched both sides of my face and shook my head from side to side.

_I don't know what came over me back there. I can't believe I said that in front of the crew! Zuko looked like he didn't even hear me._

I curled my head into my knees and took a deep breath to regain my composure. Riolu patted my head, **Rioluu**?

I looked up at my partner and smiled, "It's ok Riolu, I'm fine. Just a little flustered, hope that doesn't come back to bite me in the butt." I rose to my feet and marched down the hall towards the medical bay, with Riolu close on my heels. Taking a little detour to the medical bay I poked my head past the curtains to peak inside.

"Chief Joy? Are you in here?"

"Yes dear," Joy called from further back in the room near the storage closet. "I'm just checking the medical supplies we have."

"Is there anything we need while we're here at port?"

"Hmm… We could do with more rubbing alcohol, bandages, also more Maractus aloe for burns and inflammation, and while we're in the South we should get some Never-Melt Ice for trauma."

"Got it. I'll ask Zhao's harbor master to gather those supplies for us. Would you mind checking the manifest with the kitchen staff to make sure we have enough of everything? I want to be there for Zuko when we greet Azula."

"Of course, Ty Lee. Not a problem. I'll go join them now. Would you happen to have the manifest with you? I'll be able to update it right now if you do."

"Yes I have it right here," I reached into my pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper, then handed it over to her. "Everything Chef Mushi requested is on there, as well as the raw materials Kurt and General Iroh wanted. You'll just need to add the supplies you told me about."

"Wonderful," Chief Joy grabbed the paper from me and quickly jotted down what she needed then tucked it into her parka's pocket. She turned to check everything was in order before stepping past me to go up to the main deck. I started to follow her towards the main stairwell, but she stopped at the stair and turned to me.

"Ty Lee shouldn't you at least go grab your parka from your room?" She asked me as she looked at me a little surprised. "We may not be in the South Pole anymore but it's still a little chilly, and we aren't Firebenders after all."

I halted and looked at Chief Joy outfitted in her parka and boots. Then I looked down at my outfit. Realizing I was still wearing my crop top and training shoes.

"Oh right," I answered, scratching the back of my head in embarrassment. "I was just about to go do that."

Chief Joy narrowed her eyes at me and grinned devilishly. "Of course you were. Looks to me like someone is a little distracted. Was Zuko training without his shirt again?"

I shot down the hallway back towards my room without a word, holding my hands up to shield her gaze from my reddened cheeks. She giggled to herself as I heard her scale the metal steps behind me.

_Oh my gosh! I'm so used to the warmth below deck I completely forgot to grab my parka! I'm such a ditz! Thank the stars it was Chief Joy and not General Iroh that noticed. That would have been super embarrassing._

Making it to my room I quickly grabbed my parka and pulled it over my head. Then I dashed out of my room and made my way to the main deck. Joining the group of crew I saw in the training room, I could hear several whispers and stifled laughter. Wordlessly I pulled my hood over my head to hide my embarrassment and made my way up the steps.

Zuko and General Iroh were at the bow of the ship ready to disembark first, several ranks of crew and Pokémon behind them. General Iroh quietly beckoned me to join them at the front. Slipping silently beside General Iroh I pulled my hood down and greeted them both. Zuko then called out to the helmsman and the bow of the ship lowered to form a bridge for us to disembark to the harbor.

The harbor itself was simple, it was a small island but was able to hold Zhao's fleet and still allow for more ships to dock. I'd say possibly half another fleet could be stationed here. The harbor's position was positioned off of the southwestern border of the Earth Kingdom and was only several days away from the South Pole. So it was somewhat of a central point for the Fire Nation to supply and get repairs here before operating in the area or voyaging further. We've stopped occasionally throughout our journey, not many times though Zuko tended to butt heads with Zhao often.

Zhao and his personal guard were already at the harbor waiting for us. Azula's ship was also docking nearby, looks like they haven't disembarked yet.

_I suppose since they have a bigger ship, it must take Mai a little longer to prepare for them to disembark. It'll be nice to see Mai again. Maybe she'll spar with me just like we used to in our academy days!_

"Greetings to you, Prince Zuko," Zhao addressed us as we reached the bottom of the bridge. "General Iroh, and the Lady Ty Lee." He bowed to each of us in turn and we also bowed back to him.

"Greetings to you Admiral Zhao," Iroh replied. Zuko and I nodded in acknowledgment as well.

"Well I'll be Admiral soon enough. So to what do I owe the pleasure of hosting you all tonight?" Zhao inquired.

"Our ship needs repairs and we'd also like to resupply before continuing our journey," Zuko replied. We started making our way down the docks towards the center of the harbor.

"Ah yes," Zhao remarked. "I did notice that your ship has suffered some pretty heavy damage. It's a marvel you were able to make it to my harbor safely. And what's the story with that hole there?"

Zhao pointed at the hole that the Avatar made in the wall of his cell. We put some insulation to keep the rest of the ship warm. Since we had no prisoners to hold, it was rather simple to block off the brig. Unfortunately, Kurt and General Iroh were unable to finish fixing the hole itself due to a lack of raw materials but the evidence that the Avatar had firebender to escape should be indiscernible.

"We were ambushed by the Southern Water Tribe," Zuko spoke up again. I noticed he didn't mention the Avatar, so I tugged his sleeve to grab his attention and mouthed the words "What about the Avatar?" To which he responded by holding up his index finger to his mouth, then he continued. "While investigating the South Pole, a group of Warriors and their Pokémon assaulted my ship and left that hole. My Uncle and our engineer were able to repair some of the damage but we ran out of necessary raw materials. Right Uncle?"

"Oh yes!" Iroh exclaimed. "Kurt and I ran out of materials while making emergency repairs. If you would be so kind as to lend us the materials, our engineer Kurt could finish the repairs tonight."

"That shouldn't be a problem General Iroh," Zhao remarked as he stared at the damage. Then after a brief pause he resumed speaking to Iroh. "It's a marvel you were able to repair such extensive fire damage General, very impressive work."

"Isn't it? Pretty impressive that the Avatar was able to generate fire hot enough to burn through the steel wall of the ship," Iroh gushed, and upon uttering the last part slapped his hand over his mouth. Zuko and I both face palmed. Only General Iroh would spill the beans after being complimented on his work.

"We had subdued the Avatar after a skirmish at the South Pole, but he mounted an escape alongside two Warriors of the Southern Water Tribe," I chimed in to give Iroh some reprove and hopefully regain some control of the situation. It would not be in Zuko's favor if Zhao decided to pursue the Avatar as well.

"I see," Zhao continued, now shifting his attention to me. "So Lady Ty Lee, do you have any more information to share with me about the Avatar?"

Just as I opened my mouth to continue, Zuko stepped between me and Zhao. Using his arm to push me behind him as if to shield me from Zhao.

"That will be all Zhao," Zuko's voice was cold. He clearly didn't want Zhao involved and I almost gave everything up. I felt awful, I unknowingly put Zuko in an even worse position.

"The Avatar is my quarry and I would appreciate it if you would let me pursue him independently. With no interference," Zuko stated plainly.

"Is that a threat little prince?" Zhao retorted as he leaned closer trying to use his larger build to intimidate Zuko.

"Agni Kai. Sundown."

Rumors of today would reach the palace in a matter of days. The atmosphere was intense and the silence was nerve racking. Then a slow clap cut through it all like a sharp knife. Everyone shifted their attention towards the sound.

Naturally, it was none other than the Fire Princess herself. Sporting her traditional black and red armor, she sauntered down from her ship flanked by her Charmeleon. Mai followed beside her, wearing a custom dark burgundy parka over her black and red combat robes with matching black boots. Her parka shared the same deep sleeve her robes had, allowing her free access to her hidden throwing weapons. Hovering over Mai's shoulder was her Haunter. The auras of Azula and Mai were something to behold, even I was raptured by their presence.

"I may have missed some of the finer details," Azula said as she approached us. "But is it my understanding that there will be an Agni Kai between you two gentlemen?" She then gestured to Zuko and Zhao respectively.

Neither Firebender uttered a word, they simply nodded to answer Azula's question.

"Wonderful," Azula remarked with chilling glee. "I just love dinner and a show. Don't you, Mai?"

Mai simply shrugged her shoulders and said, "I'm not complaining."

"So silly Mai," Azula chuckled. "Here you are Zhao. The Fire Lord wants to thank you for your contributions to the war blah blah blah. And it is my esteemed honor to bestow you with the title of Admiral." Azula then unceremoniously handed a scroll to Admiral Zhao. Still silent, he bowed to Azula and tucked the scroll into his belt.

Azula then turned her attention to Zuko.

"Please do try to keep me entertained Zuzu," Azula taunted. "I'd much rather prefer to give Father good news about you brother." Azula knocked on the front plate of Zuko's armor as she giggled to herself.

I noticed Zuko clench his fist, but before Zuko could lash out, I grabbed his sleeve a second time. It was a reflex, over the years I'd come into this habit of grabbing Zuko's sleeve when I was nervous or scared. Reaching out without thinking, I froze once my hand grasped onto his sleeve. My nerves prevented me from pulling away, I began to quiver as I clasped his sleeve for comfort.

"Please, Zuko," I pleaded shakily. I didn't want Zuko to make the situation any worse than it already was. He looked down at my hand knowingly, then placed his own over mine. At his warm touch, my hand stopped shaking and I looked up into his golden eyes. He nodded in understanding and removed my hand slowly, trying not to draw any attention to us, but the damage had been done.

Now everyone would know the Avatar was alive. Azula herself may even pursue him. It was now a race to subdue the Avatar. And as much as I believe in Zuko and our crew's abilities, we were severely outclassed by Zhao's fleet and Azula's entourage. Zuko's destiny hinged on the outcome of this Agni Kai, and the whim of his sister.

**A/N: Sorry for the prolonged hiatus everyone! A lot as happened since my last update from writer's block to Netflix streaming ATLA, and with the pandemic in full swing I've been making several life adjustments. Things have started to settle down and I've overcome my writer's block, I've been working on this chapter for awhile, but I was finally able to get it moving in the direction I wanted. You know I like to end on some cliffhangers to build the tension and suspense, but don't fret, I'm back in full stride and fired up to continue the journey. This chapter and the next will mostly focus on Zuko's group, wouldn't want you guys to wait for that Agni Kai and I'm already mapping out a nice action sequence for you guys. We'll also peek in on Aang's group as well, surely you guys are already anticipating their next event! Hope you all enjoyed the chapter and that you're all staying safe during these troubled times. Look forward to the next chapter! I'll be planning to upload more frequently and I may even store up a couple chapters for you guys to enjoy. I'd love to hear from you guys in the comments or even a PM, as a creator hearing from my reader's really inspires me. Thanks to all of you who recently started following my story and a big thank you to those of you who have patiently waited for me to update. I won't abandon this story, I want to see it through to its finish!**


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